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Marlins welcome Padres to south Florida

Jul 19, 2011 - 2:53 PM (Sports Network) - Two last-place teams heading in different directions meet in south Florida tonight, when the streaking Marlins host the skidding San Diego Padres in the opener of a three-game series at Sun Life Stadium.

Last in the National League's East Division at 47-49, the Marlins have won three straight games and nine of 10 after a 4-1 defeat of the New York Mets on Monday in the makeup of a May 17 rainout.

Florida is 12 1/2 games behind the front-running Philadelphia Phillies, but just a half-game behind the Mets for fourth place and only one game back of the Washington Nationals for third.

Clay Hensley and four relievers combined on a three-hitter, with Hensley working five scoreless innings and yielding one hit in his first start since June 24 2008, when he was a member of the Padres.

Hensley, who hadn't pitched since June 1 due to a sprained right shoulder, also fanned three and walked a pair.

Michael Dunn, Edward Mujica, Randy Choate and Leo Nunez combined to finish off the victory. Nunez pitched two-thirds of an inning to earn his 27th save of the season.

Mike Stanton ripped an RBI double while Logan Morrison and Mike Cameron had RBI singles for the Marlins.

Sunday in San Diego, Chris Stewart laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt in the 11th inning to help the San Francisco Giants defeat the Padres, 4-3, in the finale of a four-game series.

Orlando Hudson knocked in two runs for the Padres, who have dropped eight of their last nine contests.

San Diego reliever Chad Qualls (4-4) took the loss in 1 1/3 innings, allowing two hits and a run on Stewart's bunt.

The Padres are last in the NL West, 14 1/2 games behind the Giants and a game back of Los Angeles for fourth.

For the Marlins, 27-year-old Anibal Sanchez again aims for his first win since June 10.

The right-handed Venezuelan defeated Arizona, 6-4, to improve to 6-1 on the season, but is 0-1 in six starts since while his earned run average has swelled from 3.06 to 3.54.

He is 3-0 at home this season and 0-1 in two career starts against San Diego.

The Padres go with righty Tim Stauffer, who had won three straight starts before dropping a 4-1 verdict to the Dodgers on July 10.

He was 2-5 after a 1-0 loss at Minnesota on June 18, but has subsequently climbed to 5-6 while trimming the ERA to a stingy 2.97.

Stauffer has allowed two earned runs or less in seven straight starts.

He has a 3.24 ERA in 8 1/3 career innings against the Marlins.