Marlins' Gordon Looks To Continue His Hot Hitting
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MIAMI (AP) -- With his thumb no longer bothering him, Dee Gordon is gaining ground in the race for the NL batting title.
Gordon looks to continue his hot hitting and help the Miami Marlins to another win over the last-place Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.
Gordon was hitting .222 with six RBIs in 11 games after missing the same amount while on the disabled list with a dislocated left thumb.
The All-Star second baseman has shown no signs of it remaining an issue, hitting .406 with six RBIs, six runs and three stolen bases in his last seven games.
Gordon's career-best .331 average leaves him three points back of Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt for the highest in the majors.
His recent offensive surge has coincided with Miami (48-70) winning five of seven games after dropping 13 of the previous 15.
Gordon is a .172 career
hitter against the Brewers (51-69), but he had a two-run single before doubling and scoring in Monday's 6-2 win in the opener of this three-game set at Miller Park.
Adeiny Hechavarria added three hits, giving him a .381 average during an 11-game hitting streak that matches his career high set as a rookie from July 1-12, 2013.
The shortstop is batting .452 in eight career games at Milwaukee and his .367 average in 14 overall matchups is his highest against any opponent.
Hechavarria and Gordon will try to continue making things difficult on Tyler Cravy (0-4, 5.92 ERA), who gets another chance to audition for a spot in next year's rotation.
The rookie right-hander has surrendered 10 runs and 12 hits - including three homers - in 9 1-3 innings while losing two starts since being recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs to replace an ineffective Kyle Lohse in the rotation.
Manager Craig Counsell is entertaining the idea of replacing Cravy with Zach Davies, one of the Brewers' top pitching prospects.
"I think we're kind of just going start by start right now," Counsell told MLB's official website. "Davies is a guy we traded for. He could be a possibility. But I think for now we're going with Cravy and letting him show us what he can do."
The Marlins will counter with a rookie of their own in Adam Conley (1-0, 5.00), who gets another turn with Jose Urena on the disabled list due to a bruised left knee.
The rookie left-hander allowed four runs and eight hits in 4 2-3 innings of a 14-6 win over Boston on Wednesday in just his second career start.
Each of Conley's three previous appearances came in relief. He yielded four runs in 7 1-3 innings after being recalled from Triple-A New Orleans for the third time this year.
He'll try to slow Ryan Braun, who is hitting .409 with two homers and eight RBIs in the past six games. He had two hits and one RBI in the opener, giving him a .381 average in the last six matchups.
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