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Hanley hopes to give Marlins a boost in Philly

Jun 14, 2011 - 2:45 PM (Sports Network) - The struggling Florida Marlins could use anything about now to revive their season and will welcome the return of All-Star shortstop Hanley Ramirez tonight in the opener of a four-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

Ramirez has been out since May 29 with a strained lower back and was batting only .210 with four homers and 17 RBI before landing on the disabled list. He wasn't too thrilled being kept from action because of the injury.

"Fifteen days without being on the field doesn't feel good," Ramirez said on the team's website. "It doesn't feel right."

The Marlins are hoping Ramirez's return can break their current funk, as they have dropped three straight and fell to 1-11 this month after Monday's 12-9 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the finale of a four-game series at Sun Life Stadium. Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco lasted only three innings and was tagged for nine runs -- five earned -- and eight hits for the loss, while reliever Burke Badenhop allowed three more runs over the next two frames.

Emilio Bonifacio, who will most likely take a seat now that Ramirez is ready to play, finished with three hits, two runs scored and an RBI for Florida, which didn't give its fans much to cheer about by finishing 1-10 on an 11-game homestand. Omar Infante, Mike Stanton and John Buck each had two RBI in defeat. The Marlins are 7 1/2 games behind the Phillies for first place in the National League East.

Chris Volstad looks to trim that division deficit down when he takes the mound for the Marlins tonight, but is only 0-5 with a 5.60 earned run average in his last eight starts. He lost his third straight start in Thursday's 3-2 setback versus Atlanta and allowed all three runs in 6 2/3 innings with seven strikeouts and two walks, falling to just 2-6 in 12 outings this season.

Volstad, who is 0-2 in five road starts, will face Philadelphia for the 11th time in his career and is 2-3 with a 4.45 ERA over the first 10 starts. The Marlins are 3-7 in games Volstad has started against the Phillies. Volstad is 2-0 with a 5.11 ERA in five starts at Citizens Bank Park.

Florida will also visit Tampa Bay for three games on this road trip.

Philadelphia had the day off Monday and will resume an 11-game homestand tonight. It is coming off a four-game series versus the Chicago Cubs in which the club won the last three meetings and recorded the 40th win of the season.

Roy Oswalt got back into the win column and settled down after a rough first inning to last seven innings, allowing three runs and five hits with five strikeouts and two walks. Phillies starting pitchers have recorded a 19-7 record at home this season.

"He's a good pitcher, and many good pitchers struggle early and then settle down," Cubs manager Mike Quade said of Oswalt. "I wish he wouldn't have and wish we would've put more pressure on him, but we weren't able to."

Ryan Howard finished with three hits and three RBI, and put the Phillies in front with a clutch two-run single in the seventh inning. Howard also doubled home a run in the bottom of the first inning for the Phillies, who have won six of eight and own a 5-2 mark so far on the homestand. Howard has hit six home runs in his career off Florida's Volstad.

Chase Utley and Shane Victorino both scored twice, while Utley collected a pair of hits in the win.

Taking the mound in tonight's series opener for the Phillies will be Cole Hamels, who is 4-0 with a 1.70 ERA in his last five starts and will try to match teammate Roy Halladay for the team lead in wins with nine. Hamels is coming off eight shutout innings and nine strikeouts in a 2-0 win over Los Angeles on Wednesday, lifting his 2011 mark to 8-2 in 13 starts.

Hamels, who lowered his ERA to 2.58, is 4-2 in seven starts on the home mound this season and did not post a decision in a 3-2 victory over Florida back on April 17 this season. He allowed two runs in seven innings that day and is just 4-7 with a 3,65 ERA in 16 career starts in this series.

The Phillies have won three of five matchups with Florida this season and are 16-7 in the previous 23 meetings between the ballclubs. The two NL East foes will play a day-night doubleheader on Wednesday.