Phillies at Marlins
The Miami Marlins are really showing signs of life following a slow start to the season. The Marlins eye their eighth win in nine games Friday when they continue their nine-game homestand with the first of three against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Miami took the final two games of its series with the New York Mets this week, including a 7-3 triumph on Wednesday as Giancarlo Stanton and Ichiro Suzuki homered. The Marlins will give the nod in this one to Tom Koehler, who is coming off his best start of the season. Jerome Williams takes the ball for Philadelphia, which lost the final three games of its four-game set in St. Louis this week. The Phillies absorbed a 9-3 setback on Thursday as David Buchanan fell to 0-5 on the young season.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, TCN (Philadelphia), FSN Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Phillies RH Jerome Williams (2-1, 3.80 ERA) vs. Marlins RH Tom Koehler (2-2, 4.50)
Williams has been consistent this season, working between five and 6 2/3 innings in all four of his starts and allowing more than three runs only once. He gave up three runs in 6 2/3 innings his last time out against Atlanta and also did not allow a home run for the first time this season. Ichiro (4-for-18, no extra-base hits) is the only Marlins player with significant experience against Williams.
Koehler pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings his last time out against Washington, six days after getting torched for seven runs in 3 1/3 innings against the New York Mets. He has not struck out more than four batters in any of his four outings in 2015, and he has never struck out Phillies outfielder Ben Revere (8-for-16 against him.) Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Carlos Ruiz also enter this series with career averages of at least .300 against Koehler.
WALK-OFFS
1. The Phillies' last 10 defeats have all come by three runs or more.
2. Philadelphia's eight wins are the second-fewest of any National League team. Its two road wins are tied for the lowest in the NL.
3. Stanton has hit safely in five straight games, totaling a double, a triple, two home runs and seven RBIs in that stretch.