Philadelphia @ Miami preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 22, 2015 ) Philadelphia 4, Miami 2

The Philadelphia Phillies have been a different team since the All-Star break and the Miami Marlins are well aware of the transformation. The visiting Phillies, who are 20-12 since the Mid-Summer Classic, go after their seventh victory in eight contests against the Marlins on Sunday in the finale of a four-game set.

Aaron Altherr homered for the second time in four major league games Saturday to break a tie in the ninth inning as Philadelphia recorded a 4-2 victory. Rookie Odubel Herrera, who is batting .346 in August, will try to start another hitting streak for the Phillies after his eight-game run ended Saturday. Miami’s Dee Gordon was also blanked after notching at least two hits in his previous six contests and will face Philadelphia’s promising rookie starter Aaron Nola on Sunday. The Marlins, who hand the ball to rookie left-hander Adam Conley, have lost three of four after a 6-2 stretch.

TV: 1:10 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, FSN Florida (Miami)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Aaron Nola (3-1, 4.41 ERA) vs. Marlins LH Adam Conley (1-0, 5.82)

Nola won his last three decisions since dropping his career debut against Tampa Bay despite allowing one run over six innings. The seventh-overall pick in 2014 from LSU has surrendered three or fewer runs in four of his six major league starts. The Phillies are 4-2 in Nola’s starts and the 22-year-old has struck out 28 and walked 10 over 34 2/3 innings overall in his rookie campaign.

Conley has permitted four runs in each of his last two starts, and a total of 17 hits in 8 1/3 innings without getting a decision as the Marlins won both. The 25-year-old Washington State product won his only other start when he yielded two runs over five innings against Cincinnati on July 11. Conley, a second-round pick in 2011, also gave up four runs in four appearances as a reliever.

WALK-OFFS

1. Marlins OF Ichiro Suzuki, who was 8-for-15 in his previous four contests overall, saw his 19-game hitting streak against the Phillies come to an end Saturday.

2. Florida native 2B Darnell Sweeney - acquired by the Phillies in the recent Chase Utley deal - homered in his third major league at-bat Saturday.

3. Miami 2B-OF Derek Dietrich is 10-for-23 with two home runs, nine RBIs and six runs scored in his last seven games.

PREDICTION: Phillies 5, Marlins 2