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Marlins hope to snap 11-game skid in clash with Angels

Jun 21, 2011 - 2:57 PM (Sports Network) - New manager, same old story for the Florida Marlins.

Even though the club played better with former World Series champion skipper Jack McKeon back on the bench, the Marlins seem to be plagued this month. They hope to snap a franchise record-tying 11-game slide tonight in the continuation of a three-game series versus the LA Angels of Anaheim.

DeWayne Wise drove in the team's only run in the second inning of Monday's 2-1 loss at Sun Life Stadium and Greg Dobbs finished with two hits in McKeon's debut. McKeon was formally named manager during a Monday press conference after Edwin Rodriguez resigned from the post Sunday morning.

"Some of these guys performed so well early in the season, and now that we're in a rut, they tend to try to do too much and play outside themselves," McKeon said. "They all want to help end this thing instead of doing the best you can and relax. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. They'll be fine. We've been through it before."

Anibal Sanchez pitched well in the no-decision and allowed one run and eight hits in seven innings of work. Steve Cishek was dealt the loss for allowing the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning. The Marlins tied the longest losing streak in franchise history, which was done twice back in 1998, and fell to an abysmal 1-19 this month. They are one loss from tying the mark for most defeats in a month (20), the last time occurring in May of 2009.

Florida is 13 games off the lead in the National League East Division and will roll the dice with Javier Vazquez on the mound tonight. Vazquez hopes to get some run support and is 0-3 with a 7.66 earned run average in his last five starts -- all Florida losses. Vazquez allowed two runs in five innings of a 3-0 loss at Philadelphia on Thursday, falling to 3-7 with a 6.85 ERA in 14 starts this season.

Vazquez, a right-hander, is only 1-5 in six home starts and will face the Angels for the eighth time in his career. He is 1-3 with a 4.93 ERA through the initial seven starts in this series.

Meanwhile, the Angels have won six of their last nine games and improved to 5-2 on a 12-game road trip that concludes at Dodger Stadium this weekend.

Torii Hunter's groundout in the top of the eighth inning plated Maicer Izturis for the go-ahead run and his RBI base hit in the sixth tied the game. Izturis had three hits and Howie Kendrick went 2-for-4 for the Angels, who sit three games off the lead in the American League West standings.

Halos starter Jered Weaver is now one of nine pitchers with nine wins on the season, as he delivered seven innings of one-run ball and six strikeouts to improve to 9-4.

"One thing I can't handle is humidity," Weaver said on the club's site. "That's one thing my body can't handle. I was able to get through the seventh, and we got that big run in the eighth. It was a good pitcher's duel, a battle. I'm just happy we won."

Scott Downs and Jordan Walden both tossed a scoreless inning of relief, with Walden registering his 17th save.

Ervin Santana will handle the pitching assignment tonight for LA and is 0-3 with a 5.06 earned run average in his last four starts. Santana pitched well in defeat during a 3-1 loss at Seattle on Wednesday, yielding a pair of runs on eight hits and three walks over 6 2/3 frames with seven strikeouts.

The right-hander, who has pitched at least six innings in eight consecutive trips to the mound, is only 1-2 in seven road outings this season. He lost his only appearances against Florida in a 7-5 loss on June 19, 2005, when he was tagged for seven runs and eight hits in only 2 2/3 innings.

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.