Marlins Look To Avoid Sweep By Phillies
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) - The Miami Marlins got Giancarlo Stanton back on the active roster, but it might be too late to save their season. The Marlins will try to avoid a three-game sweep and a sixth consecutive setback when they host the Philadelphia Phillies in the series finale on Wednesday.
Stanton went down on August 13th with a groin injury and watched the team average 3.2 runs to drop from contention for a National League playoff spot to six games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the second wild card position and three games under .500. Miami has lost 10 of its last 11 games and clinched its fifth straight series loss with Tuesday's 4-3 setback but at least has Stanton back as a pinch hitter, and the star slugger singled in his lone at-bat in the loss.
The Phillies dropped six in a row before running into the reeling Marlins and are playing out the string of another losing campaign. Philadelphia's offense has gotten a boost in the series from shortstop Freddy Galvis, who blasted a two-run homer on Monday and drove in two more runs on Tuesday.
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies Jeremy Hellickson (10-8, 3.88 ERA) vs. Marlins Andrew Cashner (4-11, 5.00)
Hellickson enjoyed a string of six straight starts allowing three or fewer runs bridging July and August but struggled a bit over his last two outings. The 29-year-old surrendered a total of nine runs on 12 hits - three home runs - and six walks over 10 innings against the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves in the last two turns. Hellickson had little trouble in back-to-back starts against Miami in July, yielding one run and six hits in 14 total innings.
Cashner is still looking for his first win with the Marlins and is 0-4 with a 5.57 ERA in seven games since joining the team after a trade from the San Diego Padres. The bearded Texan was ripped for six runs on six hits and six walks in five innings to suffer a loss at Cleveland on Friday. Cashner started at Philadelphia with the Padres on April 11 and surrendered three runs and seven hits in five innings without factoring in the decision.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Marlins activated 1B Justin Bour (high ankle sprain) from the 60-day disabled list on Tuesday, and he walked in a pinch-hitting appearance.
2. Phillies RHP Alec Asher had an 80-game suspension for a positive performance-enhancing drug test come to an end on Monday, and he could start against Washington this weekend.
3. Philadelphia C A.J. Ellis is 3-for-15 in four games since coming over in a trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
PREDICTION: Phillies 5, Marlins 3
By SportsDirect Inc.
