Marlins Look To Continue Recent Strong Play Against League-Worst Phillies
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MIAMI (CBSMiami/Gracenote) – It's amazing how much things can change in the span of a few weeks.
When the Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies last parted ways at the end of last month, neither club had a losing record.
As they reconvene in Miami for a three-game set starting Monday, the clubs are separated by one game for the worst record in the majors.
The Phillies swept a rain-shortened two-game series with Miami at home to cap a six-game winning streak and improve to 11-9 on April 27, but the roof collapsed on their season immediately thereafter, as they have dropped 22 of their last 28 and own the worst record in the majors (17-31).
Philadelphia lost the rubber match of its three-game set to Cincinnati on Sunday to give away a home series to the Reds for the first time in 11 years, surrendering five homers in the finale and eight for the series.
The Marlins (18-30) left Citizens Bank Park last month with a 10-10 mark, but a 1-10 stretch from May 8-19 sent their season into a tailspin.
Miami has shown signs of life since by alternating wins and losses in the last seven games and took two of three over the weekend from the Los Angeles Angels for its first series victory since April 21-23 at San Diego.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, FSN Florida
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Jeremy Hellickson (5-2, 4.28 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Edinson Volquez (0-7, 4.82)
Hellickson struggled through his worst outing of the season Wednesday versus Colorado after he was pounded for seven third-inning runs and gave up eight hits to go along with four walks in five frames.
The Iowa native, who has fanned only 22 in 54 2/3 innings, had been one of the few bright spots on the Phillies' staff up to that point, allowing three runs or fewer in eight of his first nine turns.
Hellickson permitted one run in six frames to beat the Marlins on April 27 and improved to 4-2 with a 2.61 ERA in 11 starts against them.
Volquez continued to receive very little run support and lost his sixth consecutive start Wednesday in Oakland, giving up three runs on seven hits across six innings.
The 2008 All-Star is among the league leaders with 29 walks, although he has issued seven free passes in three outings since returning from the disabled list after handing out 20 in the four turns prior.
Volquez allowed three runs (two earned) in 5 2/3 frames at Philadelphia to lose to Hellickson but is 4-2 with a 2.30 ERA in seven career starts versus the Phillies.
WALK-OFFS
- The Phillies' bullpen surrendered their first run in 22 2/3 frames Sunday, stopping the club's longest such streak since 2004 (28 innings).
- Since Marlins manager Don Mattingly moved OF Giancarlo Stanton from his usual cleanup spot to No. 2 in the order five games ago, the three-time All-Star is 10-for-24 with two homers and three three-hit performances.
- Philadelphia (6-19) and Miami (7-18) own the worst and third-worst records in the majors this month.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Gracenote contributed to this report.)
