• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Marlins-Diamondbacks Preview

Jul 10, 2010 - 6:31 AM By MATT BECKER STATS Senior Writer

Florida (40-45) at Arizona (33-53), 8:10 p.m. EDT

Although the Florida Marlins have a winning record on their lengthy trip, they haven't mustered much offense lately.

They appear to have a good chance of getting things turned around Saturday night when they face the Arizona Diamondbacks and Ian Kennedy, who tries to avoid losing his fifth consecutive start.

With a 3-2 win over the Diamondbacks on Friday, the Marlins (41-45) won for the fourth time in six games and moved to 6-5 on a trip that started in Puerto Rico on June 28.

Florida plated 17 runs in winning its first two games over the Mets in San Juan, but has averaged 3.6 runs in the nine contests since. The Marlins have had plenty of scoring opportunities in that stretch, but they've left 64 men on base while batting .192 (15 for 78) with runners in scoring position.

Power-hitting second baseman Dan Uggla drove in two runs Friday with a pair of singles, but neither was well hit. A bloop single in the third inning gave Florida a 1-0 lead and his broken-bat infield hit in the seventh put the team up 3-2.

"You have to give him credit," manager Edwin Rodriguez said. "Both of them came with two strikes, so he's doing something right."

Uggla, batting .462 with two homers and 10 RBIs in his last 10 games, and the other Marlins should have better luck making solid contact against Kennedy, who has already allowed 18 homers - tied for seventh-most in the majors.

Kennedy (3-7, 4.16 ERA) was tagged for a career-worst seven runs and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings of a 9-4 loss to the Cubs on Monday, his first start since walking nine in a 5-3 loss in Tampa Bay nine days earlier.

"I'm pretty sure that every time I fell behind a guy with two balls, I think they either got on either by a single or an extra-base hit," the right-hander told the Diamondbacks' official website. "So, it's just frustrating. (I) can't do that."

Kennedy has posted a 7.61 ERA in losing his last four starts, yielding at least six runs in three of his last six outings.

This will be Kennedy's first career appearance against the Marlins, who counter with Nate Robertson (6-6, 4.94).

After making only six starts last season because of various injuries and a stint in the bullpen, Robertson appears to be tiring, going 2-2 with a 7.12 ERA in his last six starts. Against the Dodgers on Monday, the left-hander gave up four runs and seven hits in six innings of a 6-5 win.

This will be Robertson's first start against Arizona since May 18, 2008, when he gave up four runs and seven hits in 5 2-3 innings of a 4-0 loss for Detroit.

The Diamondbacks (33-54), losers of six of seven, were limited to six hits Friday after matching a season high with 15 in Thursday's series-opening 10-4 victory.

Chris Young, Arizona's lone representative in Tuesday's All-Star game, knocked in his 60th run Friday. The center fielder has eight RBIs in seven games this month.