Marlins Look To Win Consecutive Games For First Time In A Month
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OAKLAND (CBSMiami/Gracenote) – It's been over a month since the Miami Marlins have won consecutive games, with opportunities coming few and far between.
The Marlins hope their bats remain awake Wednesday afternoon as they attempt to complete a sweep of their two-game interleague series against the host Oakland Athletics.
Miami pounded out 19 hits in Tuesday's 11-9 triumph, with Justin Bour going 4-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to six games.
Bour scored four runs and drove in two more as all nine members of the Marlins' starting lineup recorded at least one hit, with six registering multi-hit performances.
Dee Gordon may be swinging the hottest bat for Miami as he enters Wednesday with multi-hit efforts in four straight contests, going 9-for-18 in that span.
Oakland hopes to avoid ending its six-game homestand with a three-game losing streak, as it has allowed a total of 23 runs in back-to-back defeats after scoring 19 while winning three in a row.
Yonder Alonso's return from a four-game absence due to sore knee lasted six innings as the slugger, who tied Khris Davis for the team lead with his 13th home run in the setback, exited with contusions to his hand and wrist after being hit by a pitch.
TV: 3:35 p.m. ET, MLB Network, FSN Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins RH Edinson Volquez (0-6, 4.87 ERA) vs. Athletics RH Sonny Gray (1-1, 3.97)
Volquez has yet to get into the win column in his first season with Miami and has lost each of his last five starts, including a turn against the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Thursday in which he surrendered five runs over six innings.
The 33-year-old Dominican has done a good job keeping the ball in the park, however, allowing only three homers over his last six outings and five in eight overall turns.
Volquez is 3-3 with a 4.88 ERA in six career starts against Oakland.
Gray is coming off his first victory of the season, a triumph over Boston on Thursday in which he allowed three runs and four hits while striking out eight over six innings.
The 27-year-old native of Tennessee has worked six frames and given up fewer than four earned runs in three of his four outings this year.
Gray made his only career start against the Marlins in 2014 and escaped with a no-decision after yielding five runs over five innings at Miami.
WALK-OFFS
- Athletics RHP Jesse Hahn could be on the shelf for a while after leaving Tuesday's start in the third inning with a strained right triceps.
- Oakland RHP Chris Bassitt, who is recovering from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in May 2016, has experienced soreness between rehab starts but hopes to take the mound again this weekend for Triple-A Nashville.
- Miami placed David Phelps on the bereavement list and recalled fellow RHP Drew Steckenrider from Triple-A New Orleans.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Gracenote contributed to this report.)
