Marlins Return Home, Begin Series With Surging Cardinals
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
MIAMI (CBSMiami/Gracenote) – The Miami Marlins picked up a rare win on Sunday and may have a chance to create some much-needed momentum.
The St. Louis Cardinals could be a tired squad when they visit Miami for the opener of a three-game series on Monday.
The Cardinals finished up a three-game sweep at Atlanta on Sunday but needed 14 innings and eight pitchers to take the finale.
St. Louis only used one reliever for more than one inning - Sam Tuivailala worked two frames and earned the win - and should have most of the bullpen available on Monday behind ace Carlos Martinez, who will be opposed by Marlins lefty Adam Conley.
Tommy Pham belted the go-ahead, two-run homer in the 14th on Sunday as part of a 4-for-5 afternoon and totaled three homers in the series after being recalled on Friday to replace Stephen Piscotty (hamstring strain).
Miami leaned on its own pitching staff to avoid a three-game sweep on Sunday and watched Jose Urena combine with three relievers on a one-hit shutout in the 7-0 triumph over the New York Mets.
Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who is 1-for-4 with a homer off Martinez in his career, belted a pair of home runs on Sunday and three in the last two games to bring his season total to 10.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Miami), FSN Midwest (St. Louis)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Carlos Martinez (1-3, 3.75 ERA) vs. Marlins LH Adam Conley (2-2, 6.12)
Martinez posted his best start since Opening Day when he held Milwaukee to an unearned run on four hits in 7 1/3 innings on Tuesday.
The Dominican Republic native owns 43 strikeouts in 36 total innings in 2017 and is limiting opponents to a .227 batting average.
Martinez owns 18 k's in 19 career innings against Miami but is just 1-1 with a 5.21 ERA in three starts.
Conley's poor ERA is largely the result of one terrible start, when he was lit up for nine runs in 1 2/3 innings by the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 28.
Conley was a bit better last time out, holding the Tampa Bay Rays to five runs - two earned - in 5 1/3 frames, and allowed three or fewer earned runs in five of six appearances.
Conley is searching for his first win against St. Louis after holding the Cardinals to two earned runs while striking out nine over 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision in his lone previous try.
WALK-OFFS
- Marlins LF Marcell Ozuna is enjoying a nine-game hitting streak and recorded multiple hits in each of the last three contests.
- St. Louis SS Aledmys Diaz went 0-for-6 on Sunday after going 10-for-13 in his previous three games.
- Miami 3B Martin Prado (hamstring) left Sunday's game and could be headed for the DL.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Gracenote contributed to this report.)
