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Mets, Marlins start series in Florida

Sep 5, 2011 - 2:35 PM (Sports Network) - Javier Vazquez will try to build off a much-needed victory last time out as the Florida Marlins begin a three-game series with the New York Mets at Sun Life Stadium.

The right-hander hadn't won since July 27 before hurling seven shutout innings to top the Mets on Tuesday. He allowed three hits and reached a milestone in the outing, with his six strikeouts making him the 30th pitcher in major league history to reach 2,500 in a career.

"I didn't even know I was close to 2,500," a modest Vazquez said after the game. "When I got to the dugout the guys were like 'congratulations, congratulations' and I was like 'thank you, bye.'"

Vazquez also held the Mets to just a run over seven innings of a no-decision on Aug. 1 and is 1-1 with a 2.76 earned run average in three starts against them this year. In 27 starts on the year, the 35-year-old is 8-11 with a 4.42 ERA but just 3-7 with a 5.20 ERA in 12 at home.

Vazquez's victory was the lone one for the Marlins in their rare five-game set with the Mets that began with a doubleheader last Monday. New York still trails the season series with Florida, 8-7, despite the series victory.

New York's recent success over Florida is part of its current run that has seen the club win eight time in its past 10 games. The Mets captured the rubber match of a three-game set with the Nationals on Sunday by a 6-3 margin.

Lucas Duda hit a solo homer and Willie Harris connected on a key two-run single in the sixth inning for New York.

"Those guys who have been here all year long and we've asked them to do tough jobs, they deserve to be treated with respect," said Mets manager Terry Collins. "We have a good ballclub here and we're going to show people what we're made of."

Chris Capuano certainly has shown what he is made of as of late and he draws the start tonight for New York looking to improve on his 10-11 record and 4.41 season ERA.

Capuano put forth his best start of the season on Aug. 26 versus Atlanta, striking out a career-high 13 batters in a two-hit shutout in an outing he called one of the best of his career.

The lefty returned to the hill five days later to face the Marlins and allowed a pair of runs over five innings, striking out four in a no-decision. That left the 33-year-old Capuano winless in five games versus Florida this year. He yielded eight runs over back-to-back defeats to the club in mid-July and has a 4.62 ERA in the season series.

The Marlins take to the field one day after winning a protested game over the Phillies in 14 innings. After failing to score with the bases loaded in both the 12th and 13th innings, Mike Cameron worked a two-out walk in the 14th to force in the winning win for a 5-4 victory.

"It was a good win. We battled back. Normally you don't get that many chances to win a ballgame," said Marlins manager Jack McKeon.

Florida won the final two games of the set, but was without Mike Stanton as he sat out the game with tightness in his right hamstring.

The Phillies played the game under protest after a call in the sixth inning that took a double away from Hunter Pence because of fan interference. Two men -- including one in a Phillies jersey -- reached over the wall and touched the long drive, getting in the way of right fielder Bryan Petersen, who may have had a chance to catch it.