Marlins host Royals aiming to snap skid
Posted: Sat May 17 11:03 AM
(Sports Network) - Leaders in the National League East by mere percentage points, despite dropping four straight decisions, the Florida Marlins continue their three-game interleague set with the Kansas City Royals tonight at Dolphin Stadium.
Prior to the current slide, Florida had strung together seven consecutive victories, but now the club finds the Philadelphia Phillies on its tail.
On Friday night the Marlins put up a strong effort in the final two innings, but still bowed to Kansas City by a score of 7-6 in the opener. Dan Uggla continued his hot hitting with three hits, including yet another home run, and three runs scored in the setback. Jeremy Hermida and Wes Helms both knocked in a pair.
Starting pitcher Andrew Miller was saddled with the loss as he gave up four runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks. Miller did manage to fan six over the course of five innings.
Brett Tomko collected the win for the Royals, just his second in six decisions this year. Tomko allowed a pair of runs on five hits, striking out four in six innings of work. Although he was touched for two runs in the ninth, Joakim Soria still logged his 11th save of the campaign.
Jose Guillen was credited with three hits and two runs knocked in, while Miguel Olivo also plated two and scored twice, thanks in part to his fifth home run of the season.
Getting the call to the hill for the Royals tonight is Brian Bannister. The Arizona native began 2008 with three wins in as many starts, but has since dropped four of five games.
On Sunday Bannister finally snapped a four-game slide by permitting the Baltimore Orioles a mere two hits over the course of eight innings, striking out five and waling a pair without giving up a single run.
This is just the second time Bannister has faced the Marlins, the first encounter resulting in a win after he surrendered nine hits and four earned runs over six innings of action.
The Marlins have opted to go with Scott Olsen this time around. The left- hander is sporting a 4-1 mark so far in 2008, although he failed to earn a decision in his last outing against Washington on Sunday.
In that contest Olsen gave up four earned runs on six hits, two of which were home runs, over the course of six innings. Olsen fanned just a single batter, a considerable drop-off from the eight strikeouts he logged in his win over Milwaukee five days earlier.
The Florida pitching staff is tied with San Francisco and Washington with the most shutouts in the NL so far this season with four, but it is the team's offense that has carried them for the most part. The squad is second in the league with 60 home runs in 41 games and has the top slugging percentage (.456) in the NL as a result.
Kansas City hitters are at the other end of the spectrum, sporting a league- low 21 home runs through 41 games.
The Royals are now 87-107 all-time in interleague play, while the Marlins still own an impressive 105-82 mark in games played against the AL. The Royals were 10-8 in interleague play last season, compared to Florida's 9-9 mark a year ago.