Sixto Sanchez (2-1, 1.80) and Kyle Wright (0-4, 8.05) took the mound in the second game of a 3-game series in Atlanta between the Marlins and the Braves. The more Sixto pitches, the more comparisons he draws to “the future of Marlins’ baseball.” Tonight was no different, as the Sixto dominated in an 8-0 Marlins’ victory.

Sixto is going to be the guy

Since the tragic death of Jose Fernandez, the Marlins have struggled to find an ace with anything even close to his electrifying stuff. Now, enter Sixto Sanchez, who tops out in triple digits, works the plate well, and has a killer changeup. As the culture for Miami continues to positively change, Sixto looks to be a centerpiece in a handful of future postseason runs. Last night, Sixto went 6 innings on 3 hits and 6 strikeouts, allowing no runs. The bullpen pitched a combined 3 innings of no-run baseball in relief to seal the deal. The pitching continues to thrive, and with the bats looking better over the last few days, anything is possible for this team.

Home run barrage

Alright, “home run barrage” is probably a little exaggeratory, but for this Marlins team (or any Marlins team in recent memory), a 3 home run game is pretty out of the blue. Matt Joyce, Jorge Alfaro, and Garrett Cooper all went deep for the Fish, breaking the game open, and eventually leading the Fish to a clean win. The Marlins still sit at the bottom of the league in home runs this year, which is frightening for a playoff hopeful. As the bats continue to wake up, hopefully, the home run ball will continue to fly.

A look at the division + A look at tonight’s game

The Marlins now sit 1 GB of Philadelphia for 2nd in the division and only 2.5 GB of Atlanta. A win tonight combined with a Philadelphia loss would put the Marlins into an extremely advantageous position going into their 7-game series with the Phillies. The marlins look for the sweep on the Braves tonight, as Pablo Lopez (3-3, 3.05 ERA) takes the mound versus Tommy Milone (1-4, 5.30 ERA).