San Diego @ Florida preview
Sun Life Stadium
Last Meeting ( Apr 27, 2010 ) San Diego 4, Florida 1
With nine wins in their last 11 games, the first-place San Diego Padres ought to head home from a six-game road trip on Wednesday feeling pretty good.
Kevin Correia can see to it that they feel just a little bit better.
The Padres' ace goes to the mound Wednesday afternoon at Florida hoping to help San Diego claim the series with the Marlins and finish the road trip with a winning record.
Correia has won his last three starts, but he could stand to be more efficient. He hasn't pitched past the sixth in four outings this year, and he hasn't gotten out of the fifth in his past three starts. He has been much better at home (2-0, 1.59) than on the road (1-1, 4.63). He is 1-2 with a 6.89 ERA in four career starts against the Marlins.
If Correia can get the Padres through at least six innings, they should be in good shape, because their bullpen has been terrific of late. Luke Gregerson set a franchise record by retiring 26 consecutive batters - hitting that mark when he struck out the first two batters he faced in the seventh inning Tuesday. Tim Stauffer has yet to allow a run in six appearances, and closer Heath Bell has converted five saves in six chances.
The Marlins haven't gotten the same consistency from their pitching staff, and it has shown in their results. Florida hasn't won or lost more than two games in a row this season.
After splitting the first two games with San Diego, that trend will hold on Wednesday, though Florida would like to avoid losing its third consecutive series. The Marlins will send 32-year-old left-hander Nate Robertson to the mound in hopes of snagging the final game of the three-game set.
Robertson seemed to experiencing something of a resurgence upon moving to the National League after struggling the past couple of years with Detroit and losing his spot in the rotation, but he was knocked around in his last outing. He lasted only four innings Saturday at Colorado, giving up five runs on five hits and walking four.
He didn't have much time to dwell on that poor outing, though, as the Marlins will bring him back on three days' rest after throwing 84 pitches Saturday.
The Marlins have had good luck slowing down Padres third baseman Chase Headley, who went into the week hitting .371 but is 0-for-8 in the series. Headley had hit safely in 16 of San Diego's first 18 games entering the series.
The Marlins have been less successful in stopping first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who is 6-for-18 with three home runs and eight RBIs on the road trip, though they have kept him in the park after he came into the series having hit home runs in four consecutive games.
San Diego shortstop Everth Cabrera and Florida outfielder Cody Ross were both held out of the lineup Tuesday. Ross was a late scratch because of flu-like symptoms, and Cabrera, who is nursing a sore right hamstring, was held out after starting Monday. He is considered day-to-day.