Marlins starter Justin Nicolino (4-4) surrendered only two hits and an earned run over seven innings in Saturday's 6-2 victory over the Braves. He also walked three.
The rookie southpaw continues to demonstrate considerable promise, with Saturday's effort serving as an impressive rebound from the worst start of his young career. After surrendering seven earned runs in a Sept. 20 appearance against the Nationals, Nicolino was highly efficient Saturday in neutralizing the Braves lineup over seven frames, throwing only 80 pitches during that span.
He also did not surrender a homer after giving up at least one in his last three starts. While his 2.82 K/9 rate is exceedingly below average, Nicolino has helped his cause and limited damage by inducing double-digit ground balls in seven out of his 11 starts. Nicolino will look to close out his largely successful rookie campaign with a strong outing in his final start.