(SportsNetwork.com) – The Miami Marlins look to move above .500 and record a
sweep of the struggling Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday afternoon when the
National League East rivals conclude a three-game series.
The Marlins have won four straight and nine of their past 10 games to improve
to 12-12 on the year. It marks the first time this season that Miami has
reached the even mark.
A 13-hit attack on Saturday helped the Marlins to a 7-0 victory. Martin Prado
broke the game open with a three-run homer in the second inning and he later
added an RBI double, while Dee Gordon went 3-for-3 to improve his major
league-leading batting average to .440. He reached base five times and scored
three runs.
Backed with plenty of offense, Dan Haren coasted through six scoreless innings
and scattered four hits with four strikeouts and no walks.
“We were able to get a bunch of runs,” said Haren. “I just tried to pound the
strike zone the best I could and let the defense work.”
Cole Hamels turned in his worst start of the season for Philadelphia, allowing
a season-high six runs on 10 hits and three walks in six innings with six
strikeouts.
“I want to win and I want to get the opportunity to win,” said Hamels. “It
hasn’t been the case because of what I’ve been doing.”
Phillies hitters totaled just six hits in the club’s fifth straight loss.
The Marlins send out right-hander Jarred Cosart, who has allowed one run or
fewer in three of his four outings to post a 1-1 record and 2.49 earned run
average.
Cosart is coming off a tough-luck no-decision against the New York Mets on
Monday. He logged eight scoreless innings of two-hit ball, walking three and
striking out two in a game his club lost 3-1.
That outing came one start after the 24-year-old beat the Phillies on April
22 in his first career meeting with the club. Cosart yielded one run — on a
solo homer by Cody Asche in the second inning — over six innings and didn’t
walk a batter.
Young right-hander Severino Gonzalez will try to move past a horrid major
league debut when he starts today for the Phillies.
The 22-year-old made a road start against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday
and was rocked for seven runs over 2 2/3 innings of a loss. Gonzalez allowed
10 hits and walked two without striking out a batter.
“Possibly jitters, but he didn’t establish both sides of the plate,”
Philadelphia manager Ryne Sandberg said of Gonzalez
The Phillies lost two of three games versus the Marlins last week at Citizens
Bank Park. Miami has won seven of the last nine encounters with Philadelphia.
