Field Level Media
05 May 2021, 18:25 GMT+10
Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Luke Weaver, who is set to start against the host Miami Marlins on Wednesday night, is looking to regain his aggressive mound demeanor.
Weaver, who is 2-11 since the start of the 2020 season, showed what he can do when he is on the attack when he beat the Cincinnati Reds 7-0 on April 11.
"There's definitely an edge," Weaver said of his game. "There's definitely that mentality that 'I'm coming right at you.'
"Especially in the first inning, I'm trying to set the tone. I'm letting their side know that I'm not going to deviate from my plan unless they make me."
Weaver doesn't have much history against the Marlins -- just three appearances and only one start for a 0-1 record and a 2.00 ERA. In Miami, he is 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA.
This season, Weaver is 1-2 with a 4.91 ERA. He is 0-2 with a no-decision since that gem against the Reds, allowing 11 earned runs in 13 innings.
The Diamondbacks, who lost 9-3 to the Marlins in Tuesday's series opener, got some good news, even in defeat.
For starters, Arizona got two players off the injured list: Christian Walker (oblique) and outfielder Tim Locastro (finger). Walker immediately was inserted into the starting lineup at first base. Locastro was used as a pinch-runner. Both of them scored a run.
In addition, Josh Rojas slugged a homer, and Asdrubal Cabrera went 3-for-5. Rojas has hit at least one extra-base hit in five straight games, smacking four homers in that span.
Meanwhile, the Marlins, who snapped a three-game losing streak with Tuesday's win, are expected to start right-hander Pablo Lopez on Wednesday night.
Lopez (0-2, 2.34 ERA) is still looking for his first win of the season despite pitching well. He has given up 10 runs (nine earned) over his six starts.
In Miami, Lopez has a 3.01 career ERA in 25 starts, which is much better than his road mark (5.75).
Lopez has no record and a 4.50 ERA in one start against Arizona.
Offensively, the Marlins are hoping for more of what they saw on Tuesday: the return of Brian Anderson and the growth of Lewis Brinson.
Anderson, who had been on the injured list with an oblique strain since April 20, slugged a three-run, opposite-field homer on Tuesday in his first game back.
"I was just trying to get the ball elevated, trying to get on time," Anderson said. "It's been a while since I've seen live pitching.
"Hopefully, that will give me some confidence going forward, especially to right-center."
Brinson, a disappointment since the Marlins acquired him before the 2018 season as part of the Christian Yelich trade, had a three-run homer, a double and an outfield assist in one of his better games on Tuesday.
"Those are the best swings I've seen Lewis take," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. "He was shooting balls into that (right-center) gap. That tells me that he's staying through balls longer and covering more of the plate."
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