SF Giants-Marlins series preview: A chance to keep recent momentum rolling

Sometimes it can be difficult for players, coaches and even for fans to kind of come back to earth after a very heated series. And things don't get much more heated than during a Giants–Dodgers series. The Dalton Rushing incident with Jung Hoo Lee, Logan Webb's "unintentional" retaliation and Patrick Bailey's crowd-shaking blast all bore that out.

Unfortunately for the enthusiasm and excitement each meeting brings, but fortunately for their record, the Giants aren’t going to face the Dodgers every week. Their season probably won’t be decided during those series — though you never know, considering last year’s final stretch, when almost every game could have clinched them a playoff berth. Those series are great opportunities to build momentum and see how this team measures up against a championship-caliber opponent.

But if the Giants want to be in the playoff race come September, they must stack series wins against possible rivals in the wild-card chase, like the Miami Marlins. Last season should serve as a lesson, as the Giants finished a couple of games behind the final wild-card spot and won just two of six games against Miami.

Marlins feasting on struggling teams

Another paramount box to check for a team hoping to reach the postseason via a wild-card spot is to drop as few games as possible against rebuilding clubs. The Marlins did just that in their first two series of the year, taking five of six against the Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies.

Since then, though, they’ve faced playoff-hopeful teams such as the Tigers, Reds, Brewers and even the Cardinals, and they have yet to win another series. They enter Friday’s series opener having lost eight of their last 12 games.

Wins have also been harder to come by outside Miami for the Marlins. They’ve lost seven of their nine road games so far this season, though they looked rather comfortable during their last visit to San Francisco, completing a three-game sweep of the Giants.

Pitching could define the series

After facing arguably three of the better pitchers in the National League against the Dodgers, life doesn’t get much easier for Giants hitters. They’re set to take on Sandy Alcantara, Eury Perez and Max Meyer, three solid members of a strong rotation.

This Giants group doesn’t have much history against that trio: just 28 at-bats against Alcantara, and eight apiece against Perez and Meyer. Six of the Giants’ eight at-bats against Meyer have come from Luis Arraez, and he has collected four hits, including two doubles, in those matchups.

In his second start of the year against the White Sox, Alcantara, Miami’s ace, became the first pitcher this year to throw a complete game — and he did it in shutout fashion. But after coasting through his first three starts, he finally looked human against the Tigers a couple of weeks ago, giving up seven runs, three home runs and six walks over six innings.

Walks have been a common problem for all three Miami pitchers. Each has issued double-digit free passes through his first five starts. Even though the Giants still dead rank last in baseball in walks by a large margin, they’ve looked much more disciplined at the plate recently. Drawing a few extra walks per outing could do wonders for this lineup, especially given that they are hitting an above-average .262 with runners in scoring position.

As for San Francisco, Adrian Houser, Robbie Ray and Landen Roupp will take the mound. While Roupp (2.28 ERA) and Ray (2.86 ERA) have been the most trusted and consistent members of this rotation — with the pair allowing three or more runs just twice combined — Houser (5.40 ERA) remains a question mark. He hasn’t suffered any major meltdown yet, but his ERA has continued to rise since his impressive first start in San Diego. Following his last outing in Washington, he has now allowed four runs and issued two walks in three straight starts.

Both teams have heavily relied on their starting rotations so far. Only the Dodgers’ relievers have faced fewer batters than the Giants’ and Marlins’. Given how dominant both relief groups have been, the series could easily hinge on how deep and how efficiently the starters pitch. Good news for Giants fans: Landen Roupp (27.2) and Robbie Ray (28.1) both rank in the top 20 in the NL in innings pitched. Bad news: Sandy Alcantara (35.1) has outlasted almost everyone, trailing only Logan Webb (37.0)

While the Giants’ relief unit has been among the best since April 6 after an up-and-down start, the Marlins’ bullpen has been consistent all year. Their group enters the series with a 3.13 ERA, the fewest hits allowed in the NL (54), the fewest home runs allowed (4), the lowest batting average against (.175) and the lowest slugging percentage against (.260).

Key Miami hitters to watch

The Marlins welcomed back Kyle Stowers after the 2025 All-Star missed the end of last season with an oblique injury and the start of this one with a hamstring issue. He is coming off a breakout year in 2025, when he racked up 25 homers and 73 RBI in 117 games while posting a .912 OPS.

He’ll join Otto Lopez, Xavier Edwards and Liam Hicks as the Marlins’ main run producers. All three rank in the top eight in the National League in batting average and have posted OPS marks in the .800s. Edwards (.868 OPS) leads the way with a .330 average and 31 hits, both of which rank second in the NL. Hicks’ four home runs and 21 RBI lead the club in both categories.

Meanwhile, Otto Lopez actually had a very brief stint with the Giants back in 2024. They acquired him from the Blue Jays for cash considerations before designating him for assignment a couple of months later. The Marlins then claimed him off waivers, and so far this season, he has been one of the best shortstops in the game. He is batting .315 with five doubles, two triples and three homers. He is also tied for second among shortstops in Outs Above Average (+4) and WAR (1.2).

Of the three starters set to pitch for the Giants, Houser is the most likely to be hurt by Miami’s ability to reach base and hit the ball hard. In his first season as a Giant, his .293 opponent batting average is the highest in the rotation, while his .807 opponent OPS trails only Mahle’s .848 mark.

The Giants are finally starting to stack wins after a very sluggish start. They have an opportunity to add a few more with the Marlins in town this weekend before traveling to Philly to face a reeling Phillies squad. Neutralizing Miami’s top of the order will very likely be a key factor, but if the offense cannot put up runs, all the momentum built during this pleasing series win over the Dodgers might just go to waste.

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