The Miami Marlins head to Philadelphia for a Monday night regular season showdown against the Phillies, with first pitch scheduled for 6:40 PM ET at Citizens Bank Park. Janson Junk gets the ball for Miami against left-hander Cristopher Sánchez for the home side. Citizens Bank Park is one of the louder, more hostile environments in the National League, and the Marlins will need to be sharp from the jump if they want to leave Philly with a win. This one matters because every road win against a quality opponent has real value in the standings.

Marlins at Phillies: Monday, August 17, 2026 Game Preview

Starting Pitching Matchup

Janson Junk draws the start for the Marlins. Junk is a pitcher who has shown the ability to keep hitters off-balance with a varied arsenal, and his job Monday night is straightforward: keep the Phillies' potent lineup from getting into a rhythm early. Philadelphia counters with Cristopher Sánchez, a left-handed starter who has established himself as a reliable piece of the Phillies rotation. Left-handed starters at Citizens Bank Park with a strong home crowd behind them can be a tough equation for visiting lineups to solve, and Miami's hitters will need to be disciplined and patient at the plate to get to Sánchez.

Keys to the Game for Miami

• Limit big innings: The Phillies have the lineup depth to string together damage in a hurry. Junk cannot afford to let walks or weak defense snowball into crooked numbers on the scoreboard.
• Work Sánchez's pitch count: Miami's best path to a productive offensive night runs through patience. Deep counts force Philly's bullpen into action earlier and open opportunities for the Marlins to do damage.
• Win the first inning: Road teams at Citizens Bank Park often fight the crowd noise and the Phillies' momentum simultaneously. Getting through the first inning clean — and ideally putting a run on the board early — flips the energy in Miami's favor.
• Bullpen readiness: If Junk runs into trouble, the Marlins need their relievers to bridge innings effectively without surrendering leads or letting close games get out of hand.

Broadcast Information

Miami fans can catch the game on Marlins.TV presented by Werner, Hoffman, Greig & Garcia. Radio coverage is available in English on WQAM 104.3 and in Spanish on WAQI 710 and the iHeart App. Philadelphia-area viewers can watch on NBCSP and listen on 94 WIP.

Prediction

This is a tough spot for the Marlins. Sánchez is a quality arm at home, and Citizens Bank Park is never an easy place to play. That said, Junk has the profile to work through a lineup when he's on, and if Miami can string together some two-out hits and limit the free passes, this game stays competitive deep into the night. The Phillies have the edge on paper, but baseball gets played on grass, not paper. Expect a close game that comes down to which bullpen blinks first. Lean Phillies, but don't count the Marlins out of this one.