Miami @ Philadelphia preview
Citizens Bank Park
Last Meeting ( Apr 12, 2014 ) Miami 4, Philadelphia 5
The Philadelphia Phillies' homestand began on a sour note with a sweep at the hands of Milwaukee, but they are one win from evening their home mark at 3-3. The Phillies look to sweep the Miami Marlins on Sunday, one day after Jimmy Rollins' walk-off homer in the 10th inning lifted Philadelphia to a 5-4 win. Miami enters this matchup having dropped six straight games following a surprising 5-1 mark to begin the campaign.
Each team features one of the hottest hitters in baseball over the season's first two weeks. Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton belted two homers Saturday and leads the major leagues with 16 RBIs to go with his .314 batting average. Chase Utley of Philadelphia is hitting a sparkling .472 on the young season after ripping a pair of RBI doubles in Saturday's victory.
TV: 1:35 p.m. ET, FSN Florida (Miami), The Comcast Network (Philadelphia)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins RH Henderson Alvarez (0-2, 4.15 ERA) vs. Phillies RH Kyle Kendrick (0-1, 3.75)
Alvarez is coming off a hard-luck 5-0 loss to Washington in which he allowed only one earned run in 5 2/3 innings. The 23-year-old Venezuelan could use some defensive help in this one, as five of the nine runs he has allowed this season have been unearned. Of course, Henderson can pitch better too, as evidenced by his .342 opponents' batting average and mediocre 5-to-4 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Kendrick had a strong spring with a 2.81 ERA and worked seven solid innings against Texas in his regular-season debut. However, his last outing was a constant struggle as he allowed two home runs to Ryan Braun - and six runs overall - in five innings of a 10-4 loss to Milwaukee. Kendrick is 12-2 with a 3.48 ERA in 21 appearances (16 starts) versus the Marlins.
WALK-OFFS
1. Kendrick, who is not much of a strikeout pitcher, has struck out Stanton seven times in 18 at-bats, holding him to a .167 average.
2. Rollins is 5-for-8 in the series and has not struck out in his last five games.
3. The Phillies have won 12 of their last 15 games versus the Marlins.
PREDICTION: Marlins 7, Phillies 4