Florida @ Milwaukee preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 3, 2010 ) Milwaukee 2, Florida 3

The Florida Marlins have been known for developing plenty of talent. It appears they have another young star.

Logan Morrison continues his chase for a franchise record as the Marlins open a four-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday at Miller Park.

After opening a nine-game homestand with six straight losses, Florida beat St. Louis in a makeup game Monday and swept a short two-game set with the New York Mets to complete the homestand and go back over .500 (76-75).

Dan Uggla, the only second baseman in major-league history to homer 30 times in four separate seasons, continued his outstanding campaign with three hits and two RBI in Wednesday’s 7-5 victory.

Morrison, who turned 23 last month, chipped in a single, walk and two runs to extend his streak of reaching base safely to 41 games – one shy of Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira’s major-league high for 2010 and five behind Luis Castillo’s club record set in 2006.

An outstanding minor league hitter, Morrison is batting .309 with 19 doubles, five triples, two homers and 16 RBI in 50 games for Florida. He has also walked 37 times for a .425 on-base percentage.

Morrison and fellow rookies Mike Stanton and Gaby Sanchez are the latest line of youngsters to play in Florida which, in recent years, has included Hanley Ramirez, Josh Johnson, Chris Volstad and Thursday’s starter Anibal Sanchez among others.

Sanchez (12-10, 3.46 ERA) jumped onto the major league scene in 2006 when he tossed a no-hitter at the tender age of 21. He battled injuries for much of the next three seasons but has bounced back to make every start in 2010. Sanchez has yielded less than four runs in 18 of his last 27 starts and his seven homers are tied for second fewest among National League starters.

Sanchez was beaten 5-3 on Saturday by the Chicago Cubs, allowing four runs, five hits and five walks in five frames. The right-hander is 2-0 with a 2.86 ERA in five career starts against Milwaukee and has won his lone start at Miller Park.

The task won’t be easy for Sanchez or Morrison. The Brewers enter on the heels of a 13-1 thumping over the playoff-bound Cincinnati Reds which snapped a three-game losing streak. Casey McGehee had three hits and drove in four runs to tie Ryan Braun’s 2007 franchise record of 97 RBI by a third baseman.

Despite Milwaukee losing 12 of 20 games this month, the starting staff can’t take much of the blame. The rotation has a 2.62 ERA this month but just a 7-6 record. And the Brewers will send their best to the mound on Thursday in Yovani Gallardo (13-7, 3.55), who is in search of a career-high 14th win.

The 24-year-old is 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA in his last three starts and is coming off a 2-1 victory over San Francisco on Saturday. The right-hander yielded just a run and five hits in seven innings.

Florida leads the season series 3-1.