The Diamondbacks and Marlins are meeting up after weekend series that did not follow season-long trends. The D-backs suffered their first sweep of the season in San Diego -- the one-game stop in Texas does not count -- while the Marlins took two out of three at home from the Cardinals. Miami (21-47) still has the worst record in the league, and St. Louis (44-25) still has the best.
The Marlins underwent another major remake to cut salary in the offseason, much to the dismay of the South Florida residents who used a big chunk of tax money to fund a new ballpark that opened in 2012. Miami moved Heath Bell, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle and Jose Reyes for young players, and the growing pains are evident. The Marlins have scored the fewest runs in the majors, 213, and are last in on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
Pitching matchups: Monday -- RHP Jacob Turner (1-0, 1.80) vs. LHP Patrick Corbin (9-0, 2.28) Tuesday -- RHP Nate Eovaldi (0-0, 0.00) vs. TBA. Wednesday -- RHP Jose Fernandez (4-3, 3.11)vs. RHP Trevor Cahill (3-8, 3.96).
Who’s hot for the D-backs: Miguel Montero has 11 hits in his last 30 at-bats, including a four-hit game against the Dodgers and a home run and a double against the Padres over the weekend. He has reached in 23 of his last 24 games. ... Willie Bloomquist had two singles Sunday and has hit safely in nine of his 10 starts since returning from the disabled list May 31. ... Gerardo Parra is leading the NL with a career-high 23 doubles.
Who’s not hot for the D-backs: Paul Goldschmidt has four hits in 39 at-bats since his single in the 14th inning drove in the winning run in the D-backs’ 7-6 victory over the Cardinals on June 14. ... Didi Gregorius has three hits in his last 23 at-bats. ... David Hernandez had a hard time commanding his curveball on the recent trip to the West Coast. He walked three and gave up three runs in the Dodgers’ 5-4 victory Tuesday and gave up a three-run home run (after an apparent third strike was not called) in a 4-1 loss to the Padres on Sunday.
Who’s hot for the Marlins: Jose Fernandez, a native of Cuba who does not turn 21 until July 31, has given up three earned runs in his last 20 innings over three outings, all quality starts. The Marlins are being careful, limiting him to 88 pitches a game. Opponents are hitting only .210 against him, and Fernandez leads the team in wins and strikeouts (77). ... Giancarlo Stanton had six hits in the weekend series with the Cardinals, and the Marlins are 3-3 since he returned after missing 36 games with a strained right hamstring. ... Juan Pierre has a 12-game hitting streak, the 15th streak of at least that length in his career. He is tied for fourth in that category among active players.
Who’s not hot for the Marlins: Outfielder Marcell Ozuna, who was 3 for 10 and had a game-winning double while hitting cleanup to help the Marlins avoid a three-game sweep when they played the D-backs in Miami from May 17-19, has one hit in his last 20 at-bats. ... Outfielder Justin Ruggiano (24) is the only Marlin with more than 17 RBIs.
Notes, quotes, odds and ends: The Diamondbacks remain the only team in the majors to have not been shut out, but they were limited to one run in two of their three losses in San Diego, and manager Kirk Gibson cited a lack of adjustments to the Padres’ slow stuff. ... The Marlins are on a mini-run, having won eight of their last 14 games under first-year manager Mike Redmond. ... Ian Kennedy and Eric Hinske remain on the roster while pending the appeals of their suspension, but if Major League Baseball acts quickly, the D-backs could be at least one player short later this week. Kennedy was suspended for 10 games and Hinske for five. ... The Marlins’ youth movement is evident in their three starters for this series, as Turner is 22 and Eovaldi is 23. Turner was a top prospect with the Tigers who was sent to the Marlins at the 2012 trade deadline for Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante. Eovaldi also was acquired at the 2012 deadline, coming over from the Dodgers for Hanley Ramirez. ... D-backs closer Heath Bell did not get in a game when the teams met in Miami earlier this season. He has converted his last eight save opportunities.
