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Diamondbacks go for fourth straight win against Marlins

Jul 24, 2007 - 3:55 PM Florida (48-52) at Arizona (53-48), 9:40 pm EDT

PHOENIX (Ticker) -- The Arizona Diamondbacks are in the midst of a tight race in the National League West, and their pitching is keeping them on the pace.

The Diamondbacks will look for a strong performance out of Livan Hernandez when they host the Florida Marlins on Tuesday.

Arizona has won three games in a row, allowing a total of five runs in the three contests. The club ranks fifth in the NL in team ERA at 3.95, making up for an offense that comes into Tuesday's contest 15th in the league in batting average at .247.

Hernandez (5-6, 4.77 ERA) has been the subject of trade rumors recently. The veteran righthander has postseason experience with the Marlins and the San Francisco Giants, and has been a reliable arm for 12 major league seasons.

The hefty Cuban has struggled recently, however, failing to notch a win since May 27 against Houston. Last Thursday, Hernandez surrendered six runs - five earned - and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings to take a loss at Milwaukee.

Florida will counter with Sergio Mitre (4-4, 2.82). The 26-year-old has been strong since moving into the Marlins rotation for good on May 5. Since that start against the Padres, Mitre has compiled a 4-2 record with a 2.68 ERA in 14 starts.

A 4-3 loss on Monday ended Florida's string of three straight games with at least nine runs of offense.