Volquez, Marlins Aim For Consecutive Wins Against Soaring Cardinals
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ST. LOUIS (CBSMiami) – The Miami Marlins bounced back on Tuesday after an ugly series-opening loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Miami took down the Cardinals 5-2 on the Fourth of July and will look to gain the upper hand in the four-game set on Wednesday at Busch Stadium.
The Marlins' speedy middle infielders provided a combined five hits and accounted for three runs in the win.
Rookie shortstop JT Riddle has three consecutive multi-hit performances and clearly put an 0-for-23 stretch in late June behind him.
The big hit for Miami came off the bat of Christian Yelich.
The center fielder cracked his first home run in 32 days, a 3-run shot that put the Marlins up for good.
GANE INFO: First pitch 8:15, Busch Stadium
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins RHP Edinson Volquez (4-8, 3.97 ERA) vs. Cardinals RHP Mike Leake (6-6, 2.97)
The beginning of the season was a nightmare for Volquez as he opened the year with seven straight losses. He's bounced back in a big way since then, going 4-1 in his last seven starts.
That stretch includes a no-hitter against the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 3.
Volquez is coming off a quality start against Milwaukee in which he went six innings and gave up one earned run while walking two.
He had walked a combined 14 hitters in his previous three starts.
Volquez left the game with a 2-1 lead but earned a no decision in what ended up a 3-2 Marlins loss.
Leake earned his first win in seven starts during his last time out, throwing eight innings while giving up just a run against the potent Washington Nationals.
He ranks fifth in the NL in ERA and is tied for fourth in WHIP (1.08).
In his career against the Marlins, Leake is 6-1 with a 2.36 ERA in seven starts.
ROUNDING THE BASES
- Christian Yelich has 12 hits and nine runs scored over his last 12 games, which includes Tuesday's 3-run homer.
- Yadier Molina is just 5-for-35 in his career against Volquez.
- Of the nine Marlins hitters with experience against Leake, only Marcell Ozuna (.455), Derek Dietrick (.300) and Dee Gordon (.250) are hitting above .200 against the veteran pitcher.
- Jedd Gyorko hopes to return to the Cardinals lineup Wednesday after missing Tuesday game with a groin injury. He was removed from Monday's game in the fifth inning due to the injury, though the move was described as a precaution.