• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Willis looks for continued success as Marlins take on Reds

Sep 26, 2006 - 2:30 PM Cincinnati (77-79) at Florida (76-80) 7:05 pm EDT

MIAMI (Ticker) -- Dontrelle Willis has pitched like an ace recently. On Tuesday, he hopes it will continue.

The lefthander will take the ball in the opening game of three-game set against the Cincinnati Reds.

Willis (12-11, 3.77 ERA) has pitched well in his last 10 starts, going 6-3 with a 2.76 ERA. He has gone 6-5 with a 4.36 ERA in 15 starts at home.

In his last outing, the 24-year-old Willis was a dual threat, allowing three runs and seven hits in 8 1/3 innings and hitting two homers in a 6-3 win over the New York Mets.

He will be opposed by Matt Belisle (2-0, 4.45), who will be making his first start of the season. The converted reliever's longest outing this year was 71 pitches in four innings at Milwaukee on April 20.

Last season, Belisle was 2-2 with a 5.25 ERA in five starts.

Ken Griffey, Jr. blasted a three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead the Reds to a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Monday. It was the 563rd career homer for Griffey, who tied Reggie Jackson for 10th on the all-time home run list.

The Marlins fell victim to five home runs by Philadelphia on Sunday, including a pair by second baseman Chase Utley, as the Phillies erased an early deficit to post a 10-7 victory, completing a sweep of their three-game set.

Florida is 3-7 in its last 10 games, while Cincinnati is 5-5 during that same span.