New York @ Florida preview
Hiram Bithorn Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jun 6, 2010 ) Florida 6, NY Mets 7
Edwin Rodriguez returns to his home country on Monday as the first Puerto Rican manager in major-league history. Whether he'll still be leading the Florida Marlins after they get back to the United States is another matter.
Rodriguez and the Marlins are in the midst of a four-game losing streak - and the club is in the midst of a search for a permanent manager - as they begin a three-game set with the New York Mets in San Juan.
After winning his debut Wednesday at Baltimore, the Marlins have lost four straight under Rodriguez, who interviewed for the full-time job Saturday, according to the Miami Herald. Whether he gets to stay on the job much longer might depend upon how quickly the Marlins can turn around their slumping offense, a seemingly tough task against knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, who is expected to start for the Mets on Monday.
The Marlins scored a total of three runs in a three-game sweep at the hands of the San Diego Padres over the weekend. Now they face one of the hottest hurlers in the majors in Dickey, who has won his first six consecutive starts to become the first pitcher in Mets history to do so with the club.
One of those wins was against the Marlins, who he held to three runs on seven hits over 6 1/3 innings in a 4-3 victory June 4 at Citi Field.
Dickey (6-0, 2.33 ERA) had his best outing yet in Wednesday's 5-0 win against Detroit, holding the Tigers to four hits and two walks in eight scoreless innings.
That win came as part of the Mets' 4-2 homestand, which they wrapped up with a 6-0 win against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. The blanking marked their 11th shutout of the season and fourth in the last 16 games.
By comparison, the Marlins have tossed only five shutouts, and Monday's scheduled starter - Ricky Nolasco - hasn't been a part of any of them.
Nolasco (6-6, 4.92 ERA) has allowed four or more runs in each of his last three starts, though he did earn the win in his last outing when the Marlins rallied to beat Baltimore, 7-5, in Rodriguez's debut as their manager.
The Mets have fared well against Nolasco over the years. The 27-year-old right-hander is 4-6 with a 5.58 ERA in 18 appearances against the Mets.
Nolasco already has faced the Mets three times this year and has one win and two no-decisions to show for it. The win came in the Marlins' 10-8 victory on May 16 in Miami, in which Nolasco allowed three runs on six hits and lasted six innings. He has allowed three runs in each of his three starts against the Mets this season.
Two of the Mets' hottest hitters - shortstop Jose Reyes and third baseman David Wright - have hit Nolasco hard. Reyes is 14-for-37 with three homers and five RBIs against him, and Wright is 17-for-44 with three homers and 10 RBIs at his expense.