Marlins Look To Salvage Game Out Of Ugly Dodgers Series
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
LOS ANGELES (CBSMiami/AP) – The Miami Marlins road trip hasn't gone particularly well for them, but things have gotten really ugly over the past few nights.
Games at Dodger Stadium are starting to look like batting practice for Los Angeles.
The red-hot Los Dodgers will look to improve upon their best home start in club history Wednesday night against the Miami Marlins.
Los Angeles (22-10) won 11-1 Tuesday, its fifth straight overall and 10th in 12 games. The Dodgers are 15-2 at home for the while averaging 5.9 runs and clobbered Miami for 21 hits, including 11 against former teammate Dan Haren.
"We just got some pitches to hit and didn't miss," said Howie Kendrick, who had four hits, including his fourth homer. "Different guys at different times have been swinging the bat well all year and tonight it was everybody at the same time."
Adrian Gonzalez hit his 15th double, tying St. Louis' Matt Carpenter for the major league lead and extending his hitting streak to 11 games, but the back half of the Dodgers' lineup did most of the damage. Nos. 5-8 hitters Alex Guerrero, Yasmani Grandal, Andre Ethier and Scott Van Slyke were a combined 13 for 18 with nine RBIs.
Ethier hit his fifth home run in his third career five-hit game and first since 2008. He had a career-low four homers in 341 at-bats last season and has already eclipsed that mark in 82 this year.
Miami (15-19) has lost four of five, totaling six runs in those losses.
Giancarlo Stanton accounted for two of the club's five hits and hit his eighth homer of the year, a towering shot that traveled an estimated 478 feet and left the stadium. He's batting .431 with eight home runs and 13 RBIs in his last 15 matchups with the Dodgers.
Carlos Frias (3-0, 2.13 ERA) will try to take advantage of the struggling Marlins in his bid for a three-game winning streak in only his fifth career start. He gave up three runs and struck out six in five innings of a 14-4 win at Milwaukee on Thursday.
Frias, replacing the injured Brandon McCarthy, is trying to make his case for an extended stay in the rotation.
"I just get ready to do anything they tell me to do to help the team win," he said. "My goal is to stay here."
Conversely, Jarred Cosart (1-3, 3.67) is trying to avoid dropping a third consecutive start, though he's been OK with a 3.71 ERA in three outings since his last win. The Astros have only scored three runs over 17 innings behind him in that span.
He gave up a grand slam in four innings of Friday's 6-0 loss at San Francisco, matching the second-shortest outing of his career.
"He's still a young guy trying to get consistent," manager Mike Redmond told MLB's official website. "That's the key for him. The secondary pitches are important. He's got to be able to get a feel and throw those pitches behind in the count for strikes."
This is Cosart's first start against Los Angeles. Howie Kendrick is the only current Dodger to face him, going 3 for 9.
Redmond has opted to go with a closer-by-committee solution for his bullpen, though it didn't come into play Tuesday. Steve Cishek lost the job after blowing four saves in seven opportunities, and Miami is reportedly in talks with free agent Rafael Soriano. Soriano ranks third in baseball with 164 saves since 2010.
(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)