Marlins Begin Road Trip Through California Desperate For Wins
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LOS ANGELES (CBSMiami/Gracenote) – After an ugly homestand in which they won just one of nine, the Miami Marlins are heading to the opposite side of the country.
The Los Angeles Dodgers ended a three-game slide and look to start an extended winning surge when they open a 10-game homestand against the struggling Marlins on Thursday.
Los Angeles salvaged the finale of a three-game set against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday and now open a four-game series against Miami, who are already 11 games below .500.
Dodgers rookie sensation Cody Bellinger notched his seventh multi-hit outing of the month in Wednesday's 6-1 win over the Giants and he has five homers and a major league-leading 18 RBIs this month.
Third baseman Justin Turner is also hot with four consecutive two-hit outings - 8-for-15 during the stretch - to raise his batting average to .372.
The Marlins completed a 1-8 homestand with Wednesday's 3-0 loss to the Houston Astros and are demoralized after 17 defeats in their past 21 games.
"That's any team though when you go through a tough stretch," Miami manager Don Mattingly told reporters after the latest setback. "But I don't know if I've ever been through one quite like this. This is extended. At some point we've just got to play better."
TV: 10:10 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Miami), SportsNet LA (Los Angeles)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins RH Edinson Volquez (0-5, 4.41 ERA) vs. Dodgers LH Hyun-Jin Ryu (1-5, 4.99)
Volquez is winless in seven starts this season and has walked an alarming 24 in just 34 2/3 innings.
The 33-year-old lost to the Atlanta Braves in his last turn when he gave up two runs and four hits over six innings.
Volquez is 3-4 with a 4.29 ERA in nine career starts against the Dodgers and has struggled with Turner (6-for-12, one homer).
Ryu returned from a short trip to the disabled list due to hip pain and was torched for 10 runs (five earned) and eight hits in four innings while losing to the Colorado Rockies on May 11.
The 30-year-old is 1-1 with a 3.97 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in two home starts this season compared to being 0-4 with a 5.59 ERA and 1.81 WHIP on the road.
Ryu is 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA in two career starts against the Marlins.
WALK-OFFS
- The Marlins swept a four-game series at Los Angeles last season.
- Los Angeles CF Joc Pederson hasn't homered since Opening Day and is 1-for-16 over the last five games.
- Miami placed RHP Junichi Tazawa (ribs) on the 10-day disabled list, designated INF Mike Aviles for assignment, optioned RHP Tom Koehler to Triple-A New Orleans, added INF Christian Colon (waivers from Kansas City) to the 25-man roster and recalled RHPs Brian Ellington and Odrisamer Despaigne from New Orleans.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
