Thu Jul 3 11:32:14 2008

Comment | Email | Print

Marlins kick off long trip with stop in Colorado

---

(Sports Network) - The Florida Marlins start a season-long 11-game road trip this evening, when they open a four-game set with the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

Florida closed its nine-game homestand in winning fashion on Wednesday, as Alfredo Amezaga blasted a two-run go-ahead homer in the seventh inning to lift the Marlins to a 4-2 victory over the Washington Nationals in the rain-soaked rubber match of a three-game series.

Ricky Nolasco (9-4) went seven innings for Florida, yielding two runs on three hits with eight strikeouts. Kevin Gregg pitched a perfect ninth with a strikeout to earn his 15th save.

Hanley Ramirez was 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored and Amezaga finished 1-for-3 for the Marlins, who have won three of their last four games despite playing without star second baseman Dan Uggla.

Uggla, tied with Philadelphia's Chase Utley for the major league lead with 23 home runs, has missed the last four games with an ankle injury and is unlikely to play tonight as well.

Hoping to keep the Fish on the winning track tonight will be young lefty Andrew Miller, who is 5-7 with a 5.05 ERA. Miller dropped his second straight start and lost for the fourth time in his last five decisions Saturday against Arizona, as he allowed six runs (3 earned) and five hits in 5 2/3 innings.

Miller has never faced the Rockies.

Colorado will counter with veteran lefty Mark Redman, who will be starting in place of the injured Jeff Francis. Redman opened the year with the Rockies, but was jettisoned to Triple-A Colorado Springs in early May after going 2-3 with a 7.84 ERA.

Francis was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday with shoulder inflammation.

Redman, who won a career-best 14 games with the Marlins in their championship season of 2003, is 0-1 lifetime against his former team with a 7.71 ERA in four starts.

Colorado enters tonight's tilt on a winning note, after Garrett Atkins drove in four runs and fell a triple short of the cycle to give the Rockies a 8-1 victory over the San Diego Padres in Wednesday's rubber game of their three- game series.

Atkins had a three-run homer and Yorvit Torrealba added two hits, including a home run, for the Rockies, who have won two straight following their second eight-game losing streak of the season.

Ubaldo Jimenez (3-8), normally one of the wildest pitchers in the league, pitched 6 1/3 solid innings for Colorado. He gave up only one run on five hits with four strikeouts, while also matching a season-low with one walk.

Colorado will be facing the Marlins for the first time this season, but has split the six-game season series with Florida in each of the last three years.