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McKeon back behind the bench as wayward Marlins host Angels

Jun 20, 2011 - 2:41 PM (Sports Network) - The panic button has been pressed in Florida, where the struggling Marlins are searching for answers and a new manager after Edwin Gonzalez called it quits Sunday morning.

The Marlins have dropped a season-worst 10 straight games and are 1-18 this month, and will begin a three-game interleague series tonight versus the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Sun Life Stadium.

Rodriguez announced his resignation as manager prior to Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays in the finale of a three-game series. Brandon Hyde took over on an interim basis for yesterday's contest and it has been reported former Marlins manager Jack McKeon will handle managerial duties for the remainder of the season.

According to the club's site, the 80-year-old McKeon will serve as skipper and the club will search for another bench boss in the offseason before opening a brand new stadium in 2012. McKeon won the 2003 World Series with the team.

Casey Kotchman's RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning put the Rays ahead for good on Sunday and sent Marlins reliever Ryan Webb to the loss column. Chris Volstad started for Florida and held Tampa Bay to just one run in seven innings of work.

The Marlins scored their only run of the game on Gaby Sanchez's sacrifice fly in the first inning.

"It's been a tough day," said Hyde afterward. "I thought Volstad pitched great and we competed. We just came up short."

Florida was 29-19 at one point in late May, but a downward spiral has the club now 12 1/2 games off the pace in the National League East.

Anibal Sanchez will try to lift the Marlins' spirits when he gets the call Monday and is a strong 6-1 with a 3.02 ERA in 14 season starts. Sanchez did not factor in the outcome of a 5-4 loss at Philadelphia on Wednesday, but tossed seven innings of two-run ball.

The right-hander will put his unbeaten 2011 record at home on the line tonight, as he owns a 3-0 ledger with a 3.18 ERA in seven starts at Sun Life Stadium. Sanchez has never faced the Angels in his career.

Los Angeles will resume a 12-game road trip tonight and has won five of its last eight games. It improved to 4-2 on the trek after winning two of three meetings against the New York Mets over the weekend at Citi Field.

The Angels posted a 7-3 triumph in Sunday's series finale and received seven shutout innings from Tyler Chatwood. Vernon Wells ended 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBI, while Jeff Mathis also went deep for the Halos. Erick Aybar added a bases-clearing triple in the second inning in the win.

"That run support right there, you just know you've got to get out there and get as deep as you can, minimize the damage," Chatwood said.

Los Angeles will also visit the nearby Dodgers to close out its trip and is scheduled to send Jered Weaver to the mound tonight. Weaver is 2-0 with a 1.36 ERA in his last five starts since a personal four-game losing streak and threw a five-hit shutout in Tuesday's 4-0 win at Seattle.

Weaver, who opened the 2011 campaign with six straight wins, posted his second shutout of the season and fourth of his career. He fanned 10 batters over nine frames in a 5-0 win versus Oakland back on April 25.

The right-hander owns an 8-4 mark in 15 starts this season and lowered his ERA to 2.06. He is 5-3 in nine 2011 road starts and has never faced the Marlins.

The Angels and Marlins are meeting for the first time since Anaheim took two of three matchups at home back in 2005. The Angels did the same in 2003 as the visiting club.