Marlins' Alvarez Takes The Mound Against The Phillies
MIAMI (AP) -- Cole Hamels appears to have found his rhythm for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Coming off a career milestone victory, Hamels looks to win two in a row for the first time this season Thursday against the Miami Marlins.
Hamels (1-2, 4.40 ERA) went 0-2 with a 7.02 ERA in three starts after beginning the season on the disabled list with biceps tendinitis, but is 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in the last two. He's allowed one run and struck out 10 while lasting seven innings in each of those two outings, and gave up three hits during a 12-1 win over Cincinnati on Saturday to record his 100th victory.
"I know it's supposed to feel like a big deal, but to me it's just a win," the left-hander said of the achievement. "In a few days when you digest it, it's special to do it with one team."
In his last seven starts against the Marlins, Hamels is 3-2 with a 1.65 ERA. He's 2-1 with a 1.59 ERA in his last five at Miami.
Philadelphia's four-game winning streak against the Marlins (24-23) and three-game run overall ended Wednesday when the hosts scored their most runs of the season in the 14-5 victory. Marcell Ozuna hit a grand slam and drove in five runs as Miami won for the 12th time in its last 14 at Marlins Park, where it's a major league-best 18-6.
The Marlins hope Wednesday's performance was the beginning of a productive surge for Ozuna, who hit .310 in his first 26 games but is batting .164 in his last 19.
"He needed that," manager Mike Redmond said. "He needed to lock it in and have a couple good at-bats. He's definitely had some struggles this month. ... Hopefully this is a spark for him and a spark for us."
Teammate Garrett Jones is hitting .441 (15 for 34) with six doubles and eight RBIs in his last nine contests. However, he's 2 for 10 with a homer and four strikeouts versus Hamels.
Miami starter Henderson Alvarez (2-3, 3.62) is 0-2 with a 4.88 ERA in five road starts this season, but 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA in four at Marlins Park. He recorded both of his shutouts this season at home, most recently May 6 when he tossed a six-hitter in beating the New York Mets 3-0.
His two starts since then came on the road, where yielded 10 runs in 10 innings while going 0-1. He gave up five and 10 hits in six innings of a 7-5 win at San Francisco on Friday.
The right-hander is 0-1 with a 3.46 ERA in two starts against the Phillies. He allowed three runs and 12 hits in six innings while not factoring in the decision of a 4-3 loss at Philadelphia on April 13.
Jimmy Rollins is 1 for 7 with a double versus Alvarez, but is batting .429 (9 for 21) with two homers and four RBIs against the Marlins this season. With two hits Wednesday, Rollins tied Richie Ashburn for second place on the Phillies' all-time list with 2,217.
(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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