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Marlins aim for series win over Phillies

Sep 24, 2014 - 2:54 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Miami Marlins would like to finish their final homestand of the season with a series win and will attempt to do just that Wednesday in the middle test of a three-game series versus the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Marlins were swept in four games by the Washington Nationals to open the homestand and bounced back with Tuesday's 2-0 win over the Phillies thanks to great pitching from Henderson Alvarez. Alvarez had the two-run lead by the fifth inning and held the Phillies scoreless in 7 2/3 innings.

"We've seen him when he gets in a rhythm, he gets quick outs," said Marlins manager Mike Redmond. "He was able to do that, which allowed him to stay in the game. He did exactly what we needed him to and we got him his two runs."

Alvarez scattered five hits, struck out two and walked a batter, while Mike Dunn got the final out of the eighth and Steve Cishek worked around a pair of hits in the ninth for his 38th save.

Ed Lucas opened the scoring with an RBI single in the fourth inning off Phillies ace Cole Hamels and Christian Yelich scored on a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning for the Marlins.

Miami targets a series win with Brad Hand on the mound Wednesday and he is just 3-8 with a 4.59 ERA this season. Hand has lost back-to-back trips to the mound and is 1-6 in his last seven decisions. He allowed six runs, five of which were earned, and eight hits in five innings of a 6-2 loss to Washington last Thursday.

Hand lost at Philadelphia on Sept. 13 in a 2-1 setback, charged with both runs in six innings of work. In six career meetings (4 stats) with the Phillies, the left-hander has a 1-2 record with a 4.13 ERA.

The Phillies have lost seven of their last nine games and once again failed to give Hamels much run support. Hamels, who hit a double for the club's only extra-base hit, has been given two or fewer runs of support in 13 of his last 22 outings.

"Starters really aren't looked at to go nine (innings), so it's most likely (you're trying to) complete seven and hope to get into the eighth or ninth," said Hamels. "Any time you're able go seven and give up as few runs (as possible), that's looked at as doing your job."

Domonic Brown showed no signs of a wrist issue and provided a team-best two hits for Philadelphia, which fell to 2-6 on its 10-game road trip.

Kyle Kendrick gets the start for Philadelphia Wednesday and is hoping to find some success after losing two of his past three outings. Kendrick has allowed nine runs over his last three appearances and gave up three runs in five innings of a 7-3 loss at San Diego on Thursday.

Kendrick had won three straight starts before his recent stretch and hopes to improve a below-average record on the road. In 15 starts as the guest, Kendrick is 3-7 with a 5.12 ERA. The right-hander has dominated the Marlins in 25 career games (20 starts), going 13-3 with a 3.57 ERA.

Wednesday is Kendrick's last start of the season and he is a free agent at year's end. Kendrick has been with the Phillies his entire career, which began in 2007, and is 73-68 in 225 games (184 starts) with a 4.44 ERA. He is trying to win 10 games for a third straight year and for the sixth time overall.

The Phillies are 9-8 against the Marlins this season and just 2-5 in Miami.