Marlins In Los Angeles Going For Rare 4-Game Sweep
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LOS ANGELES (CBSMiami/SportsDirect) – Don't look now but the Miami Marlins are on a hot streak.
The Marlins look to extend their season-high winning streak to five games and give manager Don Mattingly a sweep to remember when they visit the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday for the finale of their four-game series.
Miami improved to 4-2 on its 10-game road trip with Wednesday's 2-0 triumph over the Dodgers, whom Mattingly managed from 2011-15.
Giancarlo Stanton's home run streak ended at three games, but the slugger is 21-for-66 (.318) with 21 RBIs in 18 career contests at Dodger Stadium after delivering an RBI single in the first inning Wednesday.
Los Angeles managed only a pair of singles against Justin Nicolino and four relievers and dropped to 4-5 at home this season.
Adrian Gonzalez did not record one of those hits, falling to 0-for-14 over his last four games at home.
The Dodgers will turn to Japanese phenom Kenta Maeda to try and avoid the sweep while the Marlins counter with young ace Jose Fernandez.
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN Florida (Miami), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins RH Jose Fernandez (1-2, 4.37 ERA) vs. Dodgers RH Kenta Maeda (3-0, 0.36)
Fernandez looks to bounce back from a rough outing at San Francisco on Saturday in which he surrendered four runs on seven hits and three walks in six innings.
The 23-year-old Cuban has been a different pitcher on the road during his brief career, going 5-10 with a 3.81 ERA as opposed to 18-1 with a 1.61 ERA at home.
Los Angeles has yet to defeat Fernandez, who is 2-0 with a 2.84 ERA in three outings.
Maeda's remarkable start to his first season in the major leagues continued Saturday as he did not fall victim to the high altitude of Coors Field, limiting Colorado to three hits while striking out eight in 6 1/3 scoreless innings.
The 28-year-old native of Osaka has allowed a total of one run — a homer by San Francisco's Joe Panik on April 17 — and 17 hits while working at least six innings in each of his four outings.
Maeda also has had excellent command of his pitches, issuing only five walks while striking out 23 in 25 1/3 frames.
WALK-OFFS
- Marlins OF Ichiro Suzuki needs one hit to move past Frank Robinson (2,943) for sole possession of 33rd place on the all-time list.
- Los Angeles RF Yasiel Puig is 1-for-7 lifetime with three strikeouts against Fernandez.
- Nicolino allowed two hits and two walks over 7 1/3 innings Wednesday after being recalled from Triple-A New Orleans earlier in the day, while Miami RHP Nick Wittgren was optioned to the Zephyrs.
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