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Marlins-Rays Preview

Jun 28, 2009 - 4:25 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

Florida (38-37) at Tampa Bay (40-35), 1:38 p.m. EDT

Possibly the only thing keeping the Tampa Bay Rays from a fifth straight victory is another rough outing from David Price.

The prized rookie looks to avoid a third straight loss while trying to help the Rays conclude an already successful homestand with a sweep of the Florida Marlins on Sunday.

Tampa Bay (41-35) overcame an early two-run deficit and used a Willy Aybar sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth to win 3-2 over Florida on Saturday. The Rays, who have won six of their last seven, are 4-1 on a six-game homestand that began with them taking two of three from Philadelphia in a World Series rematch.

The lone setback on the homestand came when Price (1-2, 4.45 ERA) allowed six first-inning runs in a 10-1 loss to the Phillies on Tuesday in the worst of his seven career starts.

The No. 1 overall pick by the Rays in 2007, Price allowed 10 runs - five earned - and seven hits in 4 1-3 innings.

"That's the best I've felt all year," Price told the Rays' official Web site. "I thought my stuff was the best, and I got hit around. It's a tough way to go out, putting up six in the first. That's ridiculous."

Price, who earned the save in Game 7 of the AL championship series last season, might be giving Tampa Bay's coaching staff a reason to be concerned. He's allowed 15 runs - 10 earned - and 17 hits in 11 1-3 innings over his last two starts.

The left-hander, who turns 24 in August, will face the Marlins for the first time.

On Saturday, Jason Bartlett had two hits and Carlos Pena hit his AL-leading 23rd homer for Tampa Bay, which has outscored the Phillies and Marlins 27-10 during the home stretch.

Bartlett, whose franchise-best 19-game hitting streak was snapped in Friday's victory over the Marlins, is batting .366. Pena, meanwhile, homered for the first time in six games. He has five homers in 12 career games versus Florida.

Andrew Miller (2-3, 4.17) looks to build off his best outing of the season as he takes the ball for the Marlins.

The left-hander gave up one run and one hit in seven innings, but Florida couldn't hold a five-run lead for him in a 7-6, 12-inning victory over Baltimore on Tuesday.

"That's kind of how you write it up, I guess," Miller told the Marlins' official Web site. "That's how you want it to go, but it doesn't always work like that. I was just trying to get ahead of hitters, throw as many strikes as I can, and see how that goes."

Miller makes his first appearance versus Tampa Bay.

Brett Carroll homered and Hanley Ramirez drove in his 50th run for the Marlins (38-38), who've lost two in a row after winning five straight. They are 1 for 16 with runners in scoring position in the series.

"Sometimes you match up differently with certain teams. They're an athletic club," Florida manager Fredi Gonzalez said of Tampa Bay. "You know what, these two last games, they could have gone either way."

Though he went 0 for 4 on Saturday, Ramirez is batting .400 (14 for 35) with 16 RBIs in his last nine games for Florida, which has lost four of five on the road.