Marlins at Phillies
Philadelphia, PA – The Florida Marlins didn’t make nearly as big a splash at the trade deadline as the Philadelphia Phillies did, but their acquisition is working out pretty well, too.
Nick Johnson looks to continue his hot start in a Florida uniform and help his new club keep making up ground on first-place Philadelphia on Saturday night.
Oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made the Phillies -210 moneyline favorites for Saturday’s game against the Marlins. Current MLB Public Betting Information shows that 67% of more than 162 bets for this game have been placed on the Phillies -210.
Two days after the Phillies (61-46) got reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee from Cleveland, the Marlins (56-53) picked up Johnson from Washington at the July 31 trade deadline for a minor leaguer.
While Florida will avoid Lee in this series – he’s 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA for Philadelphia – Johnson is likely to make his seventh start for the Marlins.
The veteran first baseman has reached in 16 of his 28 plate appearances with Florida, driving in four runs and scoring four while batting .400. He hit his sixth homer in 30 career games at Citizens Bank Park in Florida’s 3-2 victory Friday night.
The Marlins, who suffered a three-game sweep to last-place Washington this week, climbed within six games of Philadelphia in the NL East.
"It was a tough series in Washington. We understand this is a big series," said Ricky Nolasco, Florida’s winning pitcher Friday.
The Phillies have dropped six of nine, in part because of Ryan Howard’s struggles.
The slugger is in a 3-for-27 slump and has gone homerless in 10 straight games – a stretch during which he has two RBIs with one walk and 18 strikeouts.
Howard entered this series hitting .371 with four homers against the Marlins this season and doubled in his first at-bat Friday but struck out in the other three – the final time with two runners on in the eighth.
Cole Hamels (7-6, 4.68 ERA) will try to become the fourth straight Phillie to provide a quality start, but he’s coming off his worst outing since the All-Star break. He gave up seven runs and 10 hits in five-plus innings of a 7-3 loss at San Francisco on Sunday.
"There are moments when you love playing it, and there are definitely moments you just dread every pitch because it never really seems to go your way," Hamels told the Phillies’ official Web site.
The left-hander seemed to turn a corner in his previous three starts, going 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA, following a disappointing first half in which opposing batters hit .298 against him. Hamels, though, is 4-1 with a 3.45 ERA in his last nine home starts.
He hasn’t faced the Marlins this season after losing both of his starts against them last year with a 6.75 ERA.
Dan Uggla is 3 for 23 (.130) against Hamels, but 7 for 15 with two homers, three doubles and five RBIs in his last five games. Teammate Cody Ross homered for the fourth time in five games Friday while Chris Coghlan had his sixth straight multihit game and Hanley Ramirez had his third in a row.
It appears Florida will call up rookie Sean West (3-4, 4.91) from Double-A Jacksonville to start Saturday. He made 10 starts for Florida before being sent down July 11 after allowing nine hits and four walks in 4 2-3 innings of a 5-1 loss at Arizona. It was the third straight start he had given up five runs.
West has won his last three starts for Jacksonville, posting a 3.50 ERA with 12 strikeouts and two walks in 18 innings.
He has never faced Philadelphia.
Posted: 8/8/09 6:00AM ET
