Diamondbacks at Marlins
Miguel Rojas has been starting the Miami Marlins on the right foot in each of the last two games, as the 30-year-old became the second player in franchise history to belt a leadoff homer in back-to-back outings. Rojas and the Marlins hope to finish strong in their four-game series against Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday when the clubs reconvene in Miami.
Rojas joined Hanley Ramirez as the lone Marlins to go deep to lead off back-to-back games when he accomplished the feat in a 9-2 loss on Saturday and 5-1 victory the following day. Rojas has answered an 0-for-14 rut by going 8-for-17 with four runs scored during his five-game hitting streak for Miami, which has won four of its last five contests overall. Nick Ahmed followed up his five-RBI performance on Saturday by scoring the lone run on aggressive base running for Arizona, which owns a 3-3 mark in the midst of its second straight series against a last-place club. The 29-year-old Ahmed had one of the Diamondbacks' four hits on Sunday and has hit safely in 19 of his last 24 games.
TV: 7:10 p.m. ET, FS Arizona, FS Florida (Miami)
PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Merrill Kelly (7-10, 4.22 ERA) vs. Marlins LH Caleb Smith (6-4, 3.30)
Kelly fell to 0-4 in his last seven starts on Tuesday after getting shredded for seven runs on eight hits - including three homers - over 2 1/3 innings of a 7-2 setback versus Baltimore. "It definitely makes you scratch your head a little bit. I haven't been squared up like that in a while," the 30-year-old said after seeing his ERA balloon by nearly a half run (3.77 to 4.22). Kelly, who will face Miami for the first time in his career, has been taken deep 11 times in his last 11 trips to the mound.
While Kelly has been struggling, Smith improved to 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA in his last four starts since returning from a month-long absence due to left hip inflammation. The 28-year-old retired the first 17 batters he faced on Tuesday before allowing one run on two hits in a season high-tying seven innings of a 5-1 victory at the Chicago White Sox. Smith, who yielded five runs to lose his lone career start against Arizona, fanned nine batters on Tuesday to boost his strikeout total to 28 in his last four trips to the mound.
WALK-OFFS
1. Arizona 2B Ketel Marte has hit safely in 17 of his last 20 contests.
2. Miami 3B Brian Anderson has two doubles and a homer during his five-game hitting streak.
3. Diamondbacks OF David Peralta is 1-for-14 in his last five contests.