MLB Game Preview - Miami at LA Dodgers

Fri Jul 19, 2019 10:10 PM EDT

Done with the rigors of the road, for now anyway, the Los Angeles Dodgers will return home Friday night to face both the Miami Marlins and a familiar concern: a bullpen that has been the weak link in an impressive season.

The Dodgers left Philadelphia where they split a four-game series, losing the two games when the bullpen coughed up late leads. The most recent came Thursday when the Dodgers had a 5-3 lead in the seventh inning, only to lose when the Phillies scored four times in the frame.

Caleb Ferguson, Dylan Floro and Joe Kelly all pitched in the deciding seventh as Ferguson was charged with two runs, Floro took the loss and Kelly was saddled with a blown save. That loss came two days after Kenley Jansen allowed three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning in another defeat.

On top of that, Jansen is nursing a sore right ankle after he was hit by a comebacker in Tuesday night's meltdown.

By the time the Dodgers are done with the upcoming five-game homestand, they will be a week away from the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline and deep into a period when they are expected to go shopping for relief help. Dodgers relievers have a 4.00 ERA this season, while the starters have a 3.03 mark.

The team is just glad to be home, where they have not played since July 7. The entire coaching staff and six players, counting Home Run Derby participant Joc Pederson, went to Cleveland for All-Star festivities. Then there was a series in Boston where the final game approached six hours. Wednesday night's victory at Philadelphia ended just before 2 a.m. ET in advance of a day game.

"For the guys that were part of the All-Star festivities, I mean, shoot, the coaches and players, this makes a long trip exponentially longer," manager Dave Roberts said. "So, yeah, this is as crazy as it's been for me, personally. I guess I can speak for the coaches as well. And the players that took part in the All-Star Game."

The Marlins might have the worst record in the National League at 36-58, but they will enter off a series victory at home against the San Diego Padres. The Marlins won Thursday's finale on Brian Anderson's RBI double in the bottom of the ninth inning.

It was a much-needed series victory for the Marlins, who lost 8 of 10 games before the Padres came to town.

"When you talk about a season and a young club that's building, you just want to see them get better all the time," Marlins manager Don Mattingly said after Thursday's victory. "I'm not sure what our records are in April, May, June, but I feel like we are just getting a little better all the time."

All-Star Game starter Hyun-Jin Ryu (10-2, 1.78 ERA) will pitch in the series opener for the Dodgers. He is 2-1 lifetime against the Marlins with a 2.79 ERA in three starts. The left-hander is coming off an outing Sunday at Boston when he gave up two runs on eight hits over seven innings in a no-decision.

The Marlins will counter with right-hander Zac Gallen (0-1, 4.24), who will be making his fifth career start. The rookie has never faced the Dodgers and is coming off an outing Saturday against the New York Mets when he gave up two runs on four hits over five innings in a no-decision.

--Field Level Media