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Rays, Marlins gather for Citrus Series

Apr 10, 2015 - 2:48 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Miami Marlins turn to veteran Dan Haren on Friday when they try to pick up their first win of the season against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first game of the annual Citrus Series.

Miami, which is seeking to avoid matching club-worst 0-4 starts from 1995 and 2001, managed just three runs in getting swept by the Atlanta Braves. The Marlins surrendered 16 in the series, but 12 of those runs came in one game.

"It's disappointing, no doubt," Miami manager Mike Redmond said. "I thought we had a really good spring, and to come in and get swept is definitely a big blow."

The Marlins now turn to the right-handed Haren, who nearly retired after being dealt from the Los Angeles Dodgers this winter. He made 32 starts for the Dodgers last season and produced a 13-11 record with a 4.02 ERA. However, he was not used in the Dodgers' National League Division Series loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

A West Coast native, Haren didn't want to move across the country, but he also didn't want to leave $10 million on the table.

"It's hard to leave that much money on the table," he said during spring training. "Can I walk away from it? That was definitely a factor."

The 34-year-old, who has a string of 10 straight seasons with at least 30 starts, hasn't faced the Rays since 2012, but has a 3.01 ERA in 13 starts against them.

Tampa, meanwhile, salvaged the finale of its set with the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday and gave new manager Kevin Cash his first win, as Jake Odorizzi's 6 2/3 masterful innings led the Rays to a 2-0 shutout.

Odorizzi (1-0) and three Tampa relievers silenced Baltimore's potent bats. The Orioles mustered just three hits, with Odorizzi yielding just two while fanning seven without a walk.

"I just commanded the strike zone," Odorizzi said. "For the most part, commanding the zone was a big part to how successful we were tonight."

Injuries, though, have left the Rays' rotation in shambles and the team named reliever Steve Geltz the starter for tonight's game.

Geltz's first career start will come in his 16th major league appearance. The right-hander pitched twice in relief versus the Orioles, allowing just one walk and fanning four over a total of 2 1/3 innings.

The Marlins swept all four meetings from the Rays last season.