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Mets-Marlins Preview

Jun 29, 2010 - 4:59 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

New York (43-32) at Florida (35-40), 7:05 p.m. EDT

Florida Marlins interim manager Edwin Rodriguez enjoyed an impressive victory in his Puerto Rico homecoming. A few more such wins in his homeland might help him earn the team's full-time managerial position.

The Marlins look to build on their victory when they continue their series against the New York Mets in San Juan on Tuesday night.

Rodriguez took over after Fredi Gonzalez was fired Wednesday, becoming the first big league manager born in Puerto Rico. Days later, he got a chance to come home with the Marlins playing the Mets at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.

In front of an electric crowd Monday, Florida (36-40) snapped a four-game skid with a 10-3 win. Cody Ross homered and had three hits while Chris Coghlan and Mike Stanton also homered for the Marlins, who had totaled three runs in their previous three games.

"This return has been a very emotional thing for me and many of the people of Puerto Rico," Rodriguez said. "So I am very proud, and proud of the players for their strong game."

Rodriguez has been told he'll be with the Marlins for the entirety of this series. His future after that is uncertain, but if Florida continues to play the way it did Monday, he might be around for a while.

"I'm taking it one game at a time. My priority is winning games," Rodriguez said.

Although the Marlins are struggling, they've won seven of 11 over the Mets (43-33), who dropped 1 1/2 games back of NL East-leading Atlanta.

Jason Bay provided New York, 4-5 in its last nine, with all its offense Monday by driving in all three runs with two homers. It was an encouraging game for Bay, who had one home run in his previous 27 contests.

Mets manager Jerry Manuel will give the ball to Hisanori Takahashi (6-3, 3.78 ERA) in the middle game of this series.

Takahashi has been extremely inconsistent since joining the rotation just more than a month ago. The right-hander went 3-0 with a 0.36 ERA in four of his starts, but 0-2 with an 11.48 ERA in three others.

Takahashi is coming off one of those poor showings, allowing six runs, eight hits and four walks in four innings of a 6-5 loss to Detroit on Thursday.

The rookie also pitched poorly in his lone start against Florida on June 6, yielding five runs in 5 1-3 innings of a 7-6 win. He didn't get a decision.

Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla, in the midst of a season-worst 16-game home run drought, has two homers in five at-bats against Takahashi.

Florida turns to Nate Robertson (5-6, 4.89), who gave up five runs in a season-low 2 1-3 innings of an 11-5 loss to Baltimore on Thursday.

The left-hander posted a 2.53 ERA in winning his first two starts of the season against the Mets, but was knocked around for six runs in 4 2-3 innings of a 6-1 defeat at Citi Field on June 5.

David Wright and Ike Davis have frustrated Robertson the most, with Wright homering twice in six at-bats and Davis going 4 for 6 with three doubles.

Wright, who leads the NL with 61 RBIs, has gone 13 for 26 with two homers and eight RBIs in his last seven games.