• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Marlins-Phillies Preview

Aug 9, 2009 - 4:10 AM By JUSTIN EINHORN STATS Senior Editor

Florida (56-53) at Philadelphia (61-46), 1:35 p.m. EDT

Jamie Moyer has had a regular spot in the Philadelphia Phillies' rotation since joining the team three years ago. Now he could be pitching to keep it.

Two recent acquisitions might have made Moyer the odd man out, though the 256-game winner would help his cause with another dominant performance against the visiting Florida Marlins on Sunday.

Philadelphia's trade deadline deal for AL Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee came two weeks after three-time Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez signed as a free agent. Lee's place in the rotation is secure, and it appears Martinez is nearing his Philadelphia debut after he struck out 11 in six innings Wednesday in his third rehab start in the minors.

Only an injury would knock reigning World Series MVP Cole Hamels or red-hot Joe Blanton out of a starting job, and it appears rookie J.A. Happ will keep his spot - he's 8-2 with a 2.74 ERA.

"Happ's not going anywhere," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said Thursday. "He deserves to stay in the rotation."

Though Amaro mentioned the possibility of using a six-man rotation, if the Phillies stick with five, Martinez and Moyer (10-8, 5.55 ERA) might be fighting for the final spot.

"They deserve a tremendous amount of respect for what they've done in the game," Amaro told the team's official Web site. "And they will get our respect in that regard. At the same time, we have to do what's best for our club to win baseball games."

Moyer, acquired in a trade with Seattle on Aug. 20, 2006, signed a two-year deal worth $13 million in the offseason.

Though he leads the Phillies (61-47) in wins, Moyer has the second-highest ERA in the NL. He's consistently followed a bad start with a good one over the past two months, allowing 26 runs in 26 innings in five outings while posting a 1.41 ERA in the other five.

So maybe the 46-year-old Moyer is due for a strong effort after giving up six runs in five innings of an 8-3 loss to Colorado on Tuesday.

Also in Moyer's favor is his history versus the Marlins (57-53), having gone 13-2 with a 2.83 ERA. His best start of the season came against them July 16, when he allowed one hit in seven innings of a 4-0 victory.

Cody Ross has batted .206 against Moyer but enters this matchup having hit five homers in his last six games. His go-ahead, two-run shot off Hamels on Saturday lifted the Marlins to a 6-4 victory and within five games of the NL East-leading Phillies.

Florida's Chris Coghlan had a leadoff homer en route to his seventh consecutive multihit game, tying the club record held by Juan Pierre and Miguel Cabrera.

"We still have some work to do tomorrow and hopefully we get that," Coghlan said.

The Marlins are seeking their first series sweep of Philadelphia since doing it three times in 2004.

They'll hand the ball to Josh Johnson (10-2, 2.98 ERA), who had given up more than three runs in one start all season until Tuesday. Johnson held Washington to two hits and struck out nine through seven innings but failed to record an out in the eighth, when he was charged with four runs.

The Marlins lost 6-4 - their third defeat in his last 13 starts - though Johnson did not get the decision.

The right-hander yielded three hits in seven scoreless innings of a 7-3 loss to the Phillies on April 24 in his only start against them this year. He is 3-1 with a 3.66 ERA lifetime versus Philadelphia, which has lost seven of 10.

Ryan Howard is 7 for 19 (.368) with two homers against Johnson. He tied a career high with four hits Saturday to break a 3-for-27 slump, but is homerless in 11 straight games.