Miami @ Arizona preview

Last Meeting ( Apr 30, 2012 ) Arizona 9, Miami 5

With Los Angeles and San Francisco beginning a critical National League West matchup, it's easy to forget about Arizona. The Diamondbacks have won four straight to move 4 1/2 games behind the Dodgers in the division, and they’re in the middle of a stretch of 10 games against teams with losing records. After outscoring Houston 23-6 in a three-game sweep over the weekend, Arizona looks to move up the standings during a three-day, four-game series against the Marlins. The Diamondbacks took three out of four games against Miami in late April, when the Marlins were still considered favorites for the postseason.

Since then, of course, the Marlins have fallen far short of expectations and now stand 20 1/2 games out of first in the NL East. Emilio Bonifacio returned to the lineup after spending the past two weeks on the disabled list and went 1-for-5 in the leadoff spot on Sunday. Bonifacio is just three steals behind Atlanta’s Michael Bourn for the NL stolen base lead after Bourn stole his 33rd base Sunday against the Dodgers. While shortstop Stephen Drew and third baseman Chris Johnson are stuck in mini-slumps, second baseman Aaron Hill continues to impress. Hill went 7-for-12 with three homers in the Houston series, and he’s hitting .298 with 17 home runs this season.

TV: 9:40 p.m. ET, FS Florida (Miami), FS Arizona (Arizona)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Marlins LH Mark Buehrle (10-11, 3.74 ERA) vs. Diamondbacks LH Joe Saunders (6-9, 3.70)

Buehrle secured his 12th consecutive season with 10-plus wins Wednesday against the Phillies, when he snapped a three-game losing streak that spanned five starts. Buehrle, who allowed two runs over seven innings versus Philadelphia, gave up seven runs (four earned) against the Diamondbacks on April 30 at Marlins Park.

Saunders injured his thumb on his pitching hand when he tried to field a comebacker Wednesday, but he’s been cleared to start against the Marlins. He’s lost three of his past four starts, and he gave up five runs over six innings against St. Louis in his last outing. Saunders pitched his third career shutout against the Marlins on April 27.

WALK-OFFS

1. Arizona OF Jason Kubel went 1-for-5 on Sunday after missing the previous two games with a sore neck.

2. The teams will play a split-admission doubleheader Wednesday. They were originally set to play Thursday, but the game was moved to the doubleheader Wednesday, due to a scheduling issue.

3. The Marlins are 16-11 against teams from the NL West this season.