Florida @ Oakland preview

Last Meeting ( Jun 28, 2011 ) Florida 0, Oakland 1

THE STORY: A homestand against the woeful Florida Marlins has given the Oakland Athletics a shot in the arm. The offensively challenged A’s look to record a seventh straight home win Wednesday against the Marlins, who can’t wait for June to be over. Oakland is just 9-15 in June, but the Marlins have fared far worse, dropping 23 of 26 this month.

TV: 10:05 pm. ET, Fox Sports Florida, Comcast SportsNet California

PITCHING MATCHUP: A’s RH Guillermo Moscoso (2-3, 2.68 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Ricky Nolasco (4-4, 4.44).

Moscoso has been hurt by a lack of run support. He is 0-2 with a 2.35 ERA over his last four starts. The righthander carried a no-hitter into the sixth Friday against Philadelphia. He yielded just two hits in seven innings. Moscoso is seeking his first win since May 29.

Nolasco is 0-4 with a 7.29 ERA over his last six starts. His most recent start was encouraging, though. The righthander allowed three runs and four hits in seven innings of a 5-1 loss to Seattle on Friday.

ABOUT THE ATHLETICS (36-44): Oakland has won eight of 12 despite averaging a shade over three runs in that span. The A’s offensive struggles are well-documented, but what has gone overlooked is the fact that Oakland’s pitching staff has thrived despite being decimated by injuries. Dallas Braden, Brett Anderson, Tyson Ross, Brandon McCarthy and – surprise – Rich Harden are all on the disabled list, yet the A's team ERA of 3.13 is third in baseball. The starters have gone 7-2 with a 1.33 ERA over the last 11 games. Offensively, the A’s have gone a franchise-record 31 straight games without hitting more than one home run.

ABOUT THE MARLINS (34-45): The Marlins have already surpassed their franchise record for losses in a month (22), which has washed away a promising start. Florida was held to just one hit on Tuesday and is now batting a mere .225 in June. The Marlins have yet to reap the usual benefits that come with a mid-season managerial change. They are just 2-5 since 80-year-old Jack McKeon took over for Edwin Rodriguez, who resigned in the midst of an 11-game losing streak. The most baffling development is the prolonged struggles of Hanley Ramirez. Ramirez, off to the worst start of his career, went 0-for-4 on Tuesday, dropping his average to just .214. He has just four homers and 21 RBIs.

FINAL PITCH: “Everything seems to be going wrong right now.” – Marlins pitcher Javier Vazquez, who took the loss on Tuesday, on the team’s forgettable month of June.