MLB Baseball
2026-08-14 - Miami Marlins at Cincinnati Reds
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : Major League Baseball
Friday 14th August 2026 - Scheduled 6:10pm EST
11:10pm (British Time)
Preview
With forty games left on the schedule, the Miami Marlins (62-60) still hold a winning record and they are 2.5 games out of the Wild Card places in the National League. A team that has overachieved for much of the 2026 season has been a little streaky of late and the Marlins enter this series having seen the four game winning run ended by the Pittsburgh Pirates, although Miami have won back to back series to stay in touch with those above them in the standings.
They have an opportunity to deliver what may feel like a knock out blow towards the Cincinnati Reds (58-62) chances of making the post-season.
Ahead of this series, the Reds are 5.5 games behind the Wild Card places in the National League and they have lost four of the last six games, although Cincinnati did pick up a series win over the Chicago White Sox this week.
They will give the ball to Chase Burns who has a 13-2 record and 2.61 ERA in twenty-two starts in his second year in the Major League, but who will also be looking to bounce back from a difficult outing.
Chase Burns allowed five runs into the 6th Inning against the Washington Nationals and that meant taking just the second loss of the season and the first since his third start. In his last three home starts, Chase Burns has allowed just five earned runs from 16 Innings thrown as he prepares to face the Miami Marlins for the first time.
On the mound for the visiting team will be Sandy Alcantara who has not quite got back to the level he produced in 2022 having had to go through Tommy John surgery since then. The pitcher does have a 13-6 record and 3.52 ERA in twenty-five starts this season and the positive for Alcantara and the Marlins is that he is on course to set his best ERA since 2022.
There should be no doubting the confidence of Sandy Alcantara when he heads to the mound for this game having thrown 20 Innings across his last three starts and not giving up a single run in that time on the mound. With the little batting support needed with the performances being produced, Sandy Alcantara has picked up the decision win from wach of those starts as well.
Sandy Alcantara managed to pitch into the 9th Inning when he faced the Cincinnati Reds earlier this season, but he was not quite able to get the team over the line and was eventually relieved having allowed two runs in that outing. He did not factor into the decision and now has a 2-5 record and 3.72 ERA in ten career appearances against the Reds.
Miami and Cincinnati split four games played in South Florida earlier this season.
Prediction
Both starting pitchers will be confident in their own ability to lay a strong foundation for success in this game and it could be a close one between two National League Wild Card rivals.
The Miami Marlins have been streaky and just saw a four game winning run ended, but the Cincinnati Reds have been struggling for consistency of their own.
Sandy Alcantara and Chase Burns will likely both have strong showings, but the former may go a little longer and that makes Miami an appealing underdog to get behind.
The Pick :
Cincinnati Reds 1-2 Miami Marlins
