Los Angeles @ Miami preview
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Last Meeting ( May 29, 2011 ) Florida 0, LA Dodgers 8
Upon his departure from the Miami Marlins, much was made of Hanley Ramirez's distaste for the generous dimensions of the new Marlins Park. Ramirez will return to his former digs this weekend, this time as a member of a Los Angeles Dodgers team that is in the middle of a tight playoff race. Ramirez is hitting just .226 in 14 games with the Dodgers, but Los Angeles remains a game behind San Francisco in the National League West with reigning Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw taking the mound for Friday's opener.
The Marlins wrapped up a 4-7 road trip with a 6-1 loss to the New York Mets on Thursday, and leadoff man Jose Reyes had his career-best 26-game hitting streak snapped in the process. Miami is a half-game ahead of Philadelphia in the race to stay out of the NL East cellar, a surprising battle between teams that were expected to contend for playoff spots.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket, Fox Sports Florida, MLB Network
PITCHING MATCHUP: Dodgers LH Clayton Kershaw (9-6, 2.88 ERA) vs. Marlins LH Mark Buehrle (9-10, 3.70)
Kershaw has had ups and downs this season but has been dominant in his last two starts. He followed up a five-hit shutout of the Giants with seven strong innings to beat the Cubs on Saturday, allowing one run on three hits. Kershaw is 2-1 with a 2.30 ERA in four starts against the Marlins; he split a pair of outings against them last season, including a two-hit shutout in Los Angeles.
Buehrle's first season in Miami has been a wild ride marked by two streaks of four straight wins and a stretch of four consecutive losses. He is on a downward swing at the moment, having lost his last two decisions as the Marlins have dropped the last four games he has started. Buehrle allowed four runs over six innings in a no-decision at Washington on Saturday. He is 3-1 with a 1.50 ERA in four starts against the Dodgers.
WALK-OFFS
1. Miami 1B Carlos Lee is riding a 14-game hit streak, matching his longest streak since a career-best 28-game stretch in 2004.
2. Buehrle is one win away from posting his 12th consecutive season with double-digit victories.
3. Kershaw has struck out seven or more in nine of his last 11 starts. He has 81 strikeouts over 75 innings during that stretch.