Marlins Look To Avoid Eighth Straight Defeat Against Orioles
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MIAMI (AP) - Henderson Alvarez missed the last month of Mike Redmond's tenure as Miami Marlins manager, returning only to see Redmond be shown the door minutes after Alvarez's lackluster performance.
The losing hasn't stopped under Dan Jennings.
Alvarez takes the mound Friday night as Miami looks to avoid an eighth straight defeat in the opener of a three-game series with the visiting Baltimore Orioles.
Following a stint on the disabled list with right shoulder inflammation, Alvarez (0-3, 6.23 ERA) allowed six runs and nine hits in 5 1-3 innings of Sunday's 6-0 loss to Atlanta. Redmond was fired shortly after the Marlins (16-26) came within an out of being no-hit, with Jennings moving from the front office to the dugout the next day.
The results haven't changed, as Miami was swept in four games by Arizona following Thursday's 7-6 loss. Mat Latos allowed six runs, increasing the rotation's ERA to 6.24 over the last nine.
Jennings is off to the worst start for a first-time manager since Tony DeFrancesco also went 0-4 with Houston in 2012.
"The effort, the work ethic, everything that needs to be in place to break out of this is there," Jennings said. "When it breaks, someone is going to pay."
Alvarez hasn't faced Baltimore since going 0-2 with a 4.12 ERA in three outings in 2012 while with Toronto.
Miami broke through Thursday after scoring five runs in its previous four. Martin Prado went 3 for 5 and Giancarlo Stanton drove in a run to give him a major league-leading 39 RBIs.
Stanton is 2 for 18 over his last five but is 3 for 7 with a homer off Ubaldo Jimenez, who takes the hill for the Orioles (18-20) looking to continue his solid run.
Jimenez (3-3, 2.43) has allowed two runs in seven innings in two straight outings, striking out nine in a 5-2 win over Toronto on May 11 and not walking a batter for the first time in 31 starts during Saturday's 6-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels.
Two of the eight hits Jimenez allowed Saturday were infield singles, each coming in the seventh when he was charged with both runs.
The right-hander hasn't faced the Marlins since allowing five runs - two earned - and nine hits in four innings of a 10-0 loss while with Cleveland in 2013.
The Orioles jumped on Seattle at home Thursday after Steve Pearce hit a first-inning grand slam. They blew that lead and had one hit over the next six innings but scratched a run across in the eighth behind singles from Chris Davis and J.J. Hardy to win 5-4.
"It's a grind game for both teams," manager Buck Showalter said. "It's what separates what these guys do for a living. It's just so easy to give in."
Davis is 5 for 10 and Adam Jones has gone 5 for 11 off Alvarez, with each hitting a homer. Jimmy Paredes has hit in 17 of 18 games this month with 14 RBIs.
This will be the first meeting between these clubs since 2010. Baltimore has lost 11 of 12 at Miami and has dropped five of its last six on the road.
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