Florida @ Pittsburgh preview

PNC Park

Last Meeting ( Jul 5, 2009 ) Pittsburgh 0, Florida 5

When they started the season, the Florida Marlins entertained thoughts of securing a postseason berth and challenging the league's elite.

The only thing the Marlins are fending off now are unfortunate parallels with the cellar-dwelling Pittsburgh Pirates.

Florida (57-59) scored just six runs this weekend and was effortlessly brushed aside by NL Central-leading Cincinnati over the weekend. The Marlins, who dropped their eighth game in 12 outings with a 2-0 loss to the Reds on Sunday, have now fallen 10.5 games off the pace in the NL East.

Offensive futility is standard practice for woe-begotten Pittsburgh (39-78), which has dropped seven in a row - averaging under two runs in the process.

While detailing the Pirates' place in the standings in August is as predictable as mullets in NASCAR - we'll do it anyway. Pittsburgh has fallen 1.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for the worst record in the league.

With numbers like these, runs will certainly be at a premium on Monday when the Marlins and Pirates meet in the opener of a four-game series at PNC Park.

Chris Volstad (6-8, 4.74 ERA) will take the hill for Florida. The 23-year-old right-hander has posted two wins and two no-decisions in four starts since being recalled from Triple-A New Orleans.

Volstad collected the win after allowing four runs and nine hits in five innings in his last outing. Ironically, it was the team's offense which picked him up in that game as the Marlins posted a 9-5 triumph over the Washington Nationals.

Pittsburgh will counter with James McDonald (1-2, 5.40 ERA), who fared well in his debut with his new team before struggling in his last outing.

Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers at the trade deadline, the 25-year-old right-hander tossed six scoreless innings in a 5-1 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 5. Six days later, McDonald permitted four runs and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings en route to an 8-5 loss to the NL West-leading San Diego Padres.

McDonald will face a Florida offense which went 0-for-27 with runners in scoring position in its series against Cincinnati.

Dan Uggla is the one member of the Fish who is on fire. The slugger has three homers and eight RBIs over the last seven contests.

Marlins manager Edwin Rodriguez detailed that All-Star Hanley Ramirez will bat leadoff for the remainder of the season. On Sunday, Ramirez went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and saw his season average dip to .287.

For its part, Pittsburgh mustered only four hits in its 8-2 loss to the Houston Astros on Sunday. The Pirates dropped all nine games at Minute Maid Park this season.

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