Colorado @ Florida preview
Sun Life Stadium
Last Meeting ( Apr 25, 2010 ) Florida 4, Colorado 8
The Florida Marlins have struggled to score runs of late. Their offensive troubles are likely to continue against the winningest pitcher in the major leagues.
The Marlins take on ace Ubaldo Jimenez and the Colorado Rockies on Monday in the opener of a four-game series.
Despite scoring just five runs in its last four games, Florida has posted a 3-1 record on the strength of three shutouts. The loss saw the Marlins manage just four hits in a 4-0 setback to rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals on Friday.
After posting a 2-0 victory the following day, the Marlins edged the Nationals, 1-0, on Sunday. Rookie Gaby Sanchez provided the game's lone run with an RBI double in the fifth inning, and 21-year old Alex Sanabia allowed four hits and two walks in 5 1/3 innings en route to his first major league victory.
In two starts following three relief appearances, Sanabia has not yielded a run in 8 2/3 frames.
Florida, which has not been scored upon in 21 consecutive innings, improved to 2-1 on its 10-game homestand and 23-24 at Sun Life Stadium this season.
The Rockies also have had their problems scoring, managing only four runs in their last three games - two of which were losses. On Sunday, Colorado salvaged the finale of its three-game set with Cincinnati as Chris Iannetta belted a solo home run and Aaron Cook tossed seven strong innings in a 1-0 triumph.
Cook, who allowed six hits and a walk, posted his first win in six road decisions this year.
The win, which halted a three-game losing streak, gave the Rockies a 1-2 mark on their season-high 11-game road trip. Colorado had won six in a row and eight of nine prior to the skid.
Of the two slumping offenses, Florida's figures to have the most difficulty on Monday. The first pitcher to post 15 victories before the All-Star break since David Wells of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2000, Jimenez has gone 9-0 in 11 starts since suffering his lone defeat of the season against the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 9.
On the road this year, the 26-year old Jimenez is 9-1 with a stellar 1.23 ERA in 10 starts.
In his last outing before the break, Jimenez allowed just one run and three hits in eight innings of a 4-2 victory over St. Louis on July 8.
Jimenez is 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA in two career starts against Florida.
The Marlins counter with Anibal Sanchez, who has lost two straight starts and three of his last four decisions. The two losses in a row mark the first time Sanchez has dropped consecutive decisions since losing three straight from Aug. 27-Sept. 17.
On July 8, Sanchez surrendered six runs - five earned - and nine hits in just four innings en route to a 10-4 setback at Arizona.
The 26-year old Sanchez has pitched well at home in 2010, going 3-2 with a 2.50 ERA in eight outings. He was victorious in his lone career start against the Rockies on July 31, 2008.