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Willis looks to snap career-worst stretch

Jul 23, 2007 - 1:50 PM Florida (48-51) at Arizona (52-48) 9:40 pm EDT

PHOENIX (Ticker) - Dontrelle Willis has had a hard time winning lately. The loss of Hanley Ramirez just made it even harder.

Willis (7-9, 5.13 ERA) takes the mound looking to stop the worst skid of his career as the Florida Marlins visit the Arizona Diamondbacks in the opener of a four-game series on Monday.

The lefthander is winless in his last nine starts, but it hasn't been all his doing. Willis has received three runs or less in all but one of his six losses during the streak.

In his last start Willis, who has failed to make it out of the fourth inning in his last two outings, allowed six runs and a season-high 11 hits in a season-low three innings against Cincinnati on Thursday.

The loss of Ramirez, who suffered a partially dislocated shoulder on his first swing of Sunday's 9-3 win over Cincinnati, could hamper an offense that scored 30 runs in the last four games. Ramirez hit .533 (8-for-15) with a homer, three doubles and seven RBI as the Marlins took three of four from the Reds.

Meanwhile, Doug Davis (6-10, 4.13) takes the mound for Arizona, which took two of three from Chicago over the weekend. In his last start, Davis did not receive a decision despite holding the Milwaukee Brewers to two runs and five hits in six innings on Thursday.