Cole Hamels had a rough start to the season. The pitcher was struggling to find his rhythm as trade rumors began to circulate. He started out 0-2 with a 7.02 ERA in three starts after sitting on the disabled list with bicep tendinitis. However, the pitcher has found his stride with the Phillies and will now seek his second straight win as the team faces the Miami Marlins for the final game of the series.
Since that bad start, Hamels has gone 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA in his last two starts. In each outing, he last at least seven innings, allowing just one run and striking out 10. Against Cincinnati, he gave up just three hits in the 12-1 win. Hamels especially loves pitching against the Miami Marlins. He is 3-2 in his last seven starts against the National League team with a 1.65 ERA.
The Phillies are hoping Hamels can get the team winning again. Philadelphia saw their four-game win streak against the Marlins end on Wednesday when Miami put up 14 runs . Marcell Ozuna hit a grand slam while driving in five runs. It was the Marlins 12th win in 14 games at Marlins Park. The team currently leads the majors with an 18-6 home record. That surge at the plate could be the beginning of a positive streak for Miami. Ozuna is currently hitting .310 while teammate Garrett Jones is batting .441 with six doubles in his last nine games.
The Marlins will trust the arm of Henderson Alvarez to keep things moving. He is 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA at home while having an 4.88 ERA on the road. Both of his shutouts this season happened at home. However, his last two starts on the road is where he yielded 10 runs in 10 innings. He is 0-1 with a 3.46 ERA against the Phillies. In his last start against the team at the beginning of April, he gave up three runs off 12 hits.
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