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Marlins send Fernandez to hill to face red-hot Tribe

Aug 2, 2013 - 2:44 PM (Sports Network) - Cuban-born righty Jose Fernandez makes his first start as a 21-year-old on Friday night when the Miami Marlins host the Cleveland Indians to open a three-game interleague series at Marlins Park.

The 14th overall pick by the Marlins in the 2011 draft, Fernandez debuted in the big leagues as a 20-year-old with five innings of three-hit, one-run ball in a no-decision against the New York Mets.

He's gone on to win seven of 12 decisions in 19 subsequent starts while maintaining an earned run average that's among the league's best at 2.71 through 119 2/3 innings.

Fernandez fell to 4-4 on the season with a 3-1 loss at Arizona on June 19, but has since won three of four decisions in six starts, including a 3-2 defeat of the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 28.

In that game, Fernandez allowed two runs on five hits in eight innings and struck out a season-high 13 batters.

For the Indians, Dominican righty Ubaldo Jimenez aims for a fifth win in six decisions since early June.

The former Colorado Rockies ace was also 4-4 on the season after dropping a 7-5 verdict in Detroit on June 7, but has since beaten Texas, Baltimore, Toronto and Texas again in the subsequent starts.

The second defeat of the Rangers came in his most recent start on July 28 in Cleveland, where Jimenez allowed two hits in eight scoreless innings of a 6-0 triumph.

He's 4-2 in 11 road starts this season and 1-0 in three previous starts in Miami, all at the Marlins' former home, Sun Life Stadium.

On Thursday in Cleveland, Ryan Raburn smacked two homers and drove in four as the red-hot Indians won their season-high eighth straight game, a 6-1 triumph over the Chicago White Sox to sweep a four-game set.

Justin Masterson (13-7) fanned seven and surrendered just a run on five hits and three walks over 6 2/3 frames for the Tribe, who are a season-best 12 games over .500.

Drew Stubbs tallied three hits and scored twice, while Carlos Santana racked up three hits as well to go along with a run scored in the win.

In Miami, Donovan Solano chased Matt Harvey from the game with a single that drove in two runs in the sixth inning, helping the Marlins beat the New York Mets, 3-0, in the finale of a four-game series.

Logan Morrison hit an RBI single to account for Miami's other run. Tom Koehler (3-6) tossed six innings for the Marlins, allowing five hits and five walks.

The Marlins won two of three games when the teams last met in Cleveland in 2012.