San Diego @ Miami preview

San Diego at Miami

Last Meeting ( Jun 30, 2013 ) San Diego 2, Miami 6

After putting the finishing touches on an impressive June, the Miami Marlins will look to keep their positive momentum going on Monday when they seek to take three of four from the visiting San Diego Padres. Jeff Mathis provided an emphatic exclamation point on Sunday by belting a grand slam in the ninth inning as Miami posted its seventh win in nine games. The Marlins finished the month with a 15-10 mark - a stark contrast to their combined 14-41 record in April and May.

"After April and May, to do what we did in June is great," Marlins manager Mike Redmond told the Miami Herald. "Are we happy with it? Yes. Are we satisfied with it? No." San Diego certainly wasn't satisfied with its performance in the 6-2 setback, which was its eighth defeat in 12 outings. The Padres fell to 1-2 on their current 10-game road trip.

TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FSSD (San Diego), FSFL (Miami)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres RH Jason Marquis (9-3, 3.99 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Jose Fernandez (4-4, 2.98)

Marquis suffered his first loss since April 22 with an erratic performance on Tuesday versus Philadelphia. The 34-year-old yielded six runs on as many hits and matched a season high with five walks in 4 1/3 innings in the setback. Marquis weaved a gem the last time he faced the Marlins, scattering five hits over eight scoreless innings to pick up the win on May 8.

Fernandez settled for a no-decision despite yielding just one run on four hits in five innings against Minnesota on Tuesday. The 20-year-old Cuban rookie has allowed just six earned runs and kept the ball in the park in his last five trips to the mound. Fernandez has provided quite the show for the home fans, posting a 2-0 mark with a stingy 1.76 ERA while limiting opposing batters to a .189 average.

WALK-OFFS

1. Miami rookie RF Marcell Ozuna is riding a team-best nine-game hitting streak, but went 0-for-3 in his previous outing versus Marquis.

2. San Diego OF Carlos Quentin, who belted a pinch-hit two-run homer Sunday, has hit safely in three straight games and six of his last seven.

3. Padres manager Bud Black said that promising rookie 2B Jedd Gyorko will do some running on Monday as he works his way back from a strained right groin.

PREDICTION: Padres 3, Marlins 1