The Miami Marlins come into this July 27 matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers in desperate need of traction as they attempt to right the ship during what has been an up-and-down 2025 campaign plagued by inconsistency, injuries, and underperformance on both sides of the ball. Despite occasional glimpses of promise from young talents like Otto Lopez, Xavier Edwards, and Jake Burger, Miami has struggled to generate sustained offense, often going multiple innings without a baserunner or failing to capitalize on runners in scoring position. Their road woes have been especially pronounced, with the Marlins sitting near the bottom of the National League in batting average, slugging, and OPS on the road, all while producing the third-fewest runs in away games across the majors. Cal Quantrill is expected to make the start and while he is coming off a solid outing, his overall metrics remain troubling—he’s issued too many walks, allowed an elevated hard-hit rate, and has failed to go deep into games consistently. Miami’s bullpen has been leaned on heavily and while arms like Andrew Nardi and Tanner Scott have had solid stretches, the overall unit has faltered late in close games, ranking below league average in blown saves and WHIP since the All-Star break. Offensively, Jazz Chisholm Jr. remains the team’s spark plug, but his supporting cast has lacked punch, especially against right-handed pitching.

The team’s inability to draw walks or create pressure with aggressive base running has rendered them too reliant on sequencing hits, a difficult ask against efficient pitchers like Freddy Peralta. Defensively, Miami has had moments of competence but has also cost themselves outs with a lack of range and occasional miscommunication, particularly in middle-infield shifts and deep fly-ball coverage. While they’ve tried to compensate with small ball and hit-and-run tactics, the margins are simply too tight against fundamentally sound teams like Milwaukee. Miami’s coaching staff has emphasized controlling the zone and minimizing strikeouts, but that hasn’t translated to improved results against high-strikeout pitchers, of which Peralta is among the most elite in baseball. This is a game where the Marlins will need to scrap, claw, and capitalize on every opportunity, as even one miscue or missed chance could be the difference between stealing a gritty win and watching another close game slip away. They’ll hope that a few timely hits, a bounce-back outing from Quantrill, and maybe some late-inning bullpen luck can swing the momentum, but on paper, the matchup tilts heavily against them. Still, with the unpredictability of baseball and the occasional explosiveness of players like Bryan De La Cruz or Jesus Sanchez, the Marlins have enough potential to threaten if things break their way early. A win here would not only salvage the series but could offer a much-needed jolt to a club struggling to find its footing in the dog days of summer.