Major League Baseball

Angels-Marlins Preview

Published Jun. 22, 2011 2:44 a.m. ET

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Jack McKeon has a word of warning for the rest of the majors - summer is here, and that's when his team is at its best.

McKeon's Florida Marlins look to build on their first win in nearly two weeks and hand the Los Angeles Angels another discouraging loss in Wednesday night's series finale.

Florida (33-41) snapped a franchise record-tying 11-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Angels on Tuesday, the first official day of summer.

"We're a summer team,'' McKeon said. "We like to play much better baseball in the summer than we do in the spring. So watch out from now on because summer's here, and we're here.''

The last few weeks of spring didn't treat Florida well.

Tuesday's win was just the second in 21 games for the Marlins, who have seen a two-game deficit in the NL East on May 30 balloon to 13. Getting back into the playoff picture could be difficult, but there's reason to believe the team could get on track.

McKeon put the slumping Hanley Ramirez in the cleanup spot for the first time in his career Tuesday, and the All-Star responded by going 2 for 4, his first multihit game since May 21. McKeon held Ramirez, who also scored twice, out of the starting lineup in Monday's 5-2 series-opening loss, his first game as interim manager.

Ramirez could be poised for another multihit game, considering he is 3 for 4 with two walks lifetime against scheduled starter Joel Pineiro (3-3, 3.92 ERA).

Slugger Mike Stanton also returned to the Marlins' lineup Tuesday after missing three games with a right eye infection and had three hits and drove in two runs.

"We're starting to gain our identity back," said Greg Dobbs, who also had three hits.

Although Florida's offense appears to be coming together, there could be some concerns about its pitching.

The Marlins used five relievers to pitch 3 2-3 innings Tuesday, and the bullpen could see even more work in the finale with relief pitcher Brian Sanches (3-1, 1.93) getting the start.

In the only start of his career, Sanches allowed a run and three hits in three innings of a 6-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on May 28.

Sanches, who has made 22 relief appearances this year, will be facing Los Angeles for the first time.

The Angels (36-39) had little trouble getting on base Tuesday, pounding out 13 hits - their most since getting 15 on May 30 - but went 1 for 15 with runners in scoring position.

"We didn't come through in the clutch situations,'' Torii Hunter said. "That's why we lost. We got hits but not at the right moment.''

Hunter had four hits and drove in the Angels' first run with two outs in the ninth inning. The right fielder is batting .441 with nine RBIs in eight games against the NL this season, and his 42 RBIs in interleague play since 2009 are the most in baseball.

Pineiro is 4-0 with a 2.19 ERA in his last five starts against the NL, and this will be his first outing against the Marlins since 2009. He is 1-1 with a 3.65 ERA in two career starts versus Florida.

Against the New York Mets on Friday, Pineiro gave up two runs and six hits in 6 1-3 innings of a 4-3 win, the 100th victory of his career. It was the right-hander's seventh attempt to reach the century mark after going 0-3 with a 5.50 ERA since his previous victory May 10, against the Chicago White Sox.

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