Brewers-Marlins Preview

5/7/2008 11:07 PM

By KATE HEDLIN
STATS Writer

After solid starts by two of the younger members of their rotation, the Florida Marlins hope veteran Mark Hendrickson can help them complete a three-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday.

The NL East-leading Marlins (19-14) have won three straight and four of their last five. Although their starting pitching has one of the highest ERAs in the majors (5.22), it's shown signs of improvement recently. The starters are 4-1 with a 3.79 ERA in the last six games, and they've allowed just two runs and seven hits in the first two games of this series with Milwaukee (16-17).

The Marlins sent the Brewers to their fifth straight loss on Wednesday with a 6-2 victory. Twenty-five-year-old rookie Burke Badenhop earned his first career victory, going 5 2-3 innings, allowing two runs and five hits.

That effort came one night after 24-year-old Scott Olsen came within one out of a shutout in a 3-0 win, yielding two hits before Kevin Gregg retired the last batter.

The Marlins look to match their longest winning streak of the season - April 7-11 - when they send Hendrickson (5-1, 3.71 ERA) to the mound.

Hendrickson is looking to win his sixth consecutive decision. The 33-year-old left-hander, who is the oldest member of the pitching staff, is leading the Marlins in wins in his first year with the club after signing a free-agent deal during the offseason.

"Those are all things we were looking for from Mark, and we're tickled to death on what he's done for the club," pitching coach Mark Wiley told the Marlins' official Web site.

Hendrickson allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings on Friday in a 6-4 win over the Padres. He is 0-1 with a 4.85 ERA in two starts and one relief appearance against the Brewers. On April 26, he allowed two earned runs and five hits over six innings, and did not receive a decision in the 4-3 loss.

Wednesday's win for Florida was also keyed by back-to-back homers by Jorge Cantu and Dan Uggla in the sixth inning. Mike Jacobs also drove in two runs to help the team match its best 33-game start.

"We're just playing good baseball," said Jacobs, who left in the third with tightness in his quad. "We're hitting, we're pitching well, we're playing good defense. It all starts with our pitching staff, and I think right now maybe they're starting to feed off each other and trying to top each other, which is perfect."

Jacobs, who is hitting .271 with a team-leading 24 RBIs, said he expects to miss no more than a game or two and that he still may play on Thursday.

The Brewers are looking to avoid matching their longest losing streak since dropping six in a row from May 22-28.

"These guys don't like this, so there is a bit of frustration," manager Ned Yost said. "I wouldn't say there is tension, but they're working very hard to get themselves out of it."

Carlos Villanueva (1-3, 5.56) takes the mound Thursday looking to be the first Milwaukee starter other than Ben Sheets to win since April 5.

Villanueva has lost his last three decisions. He's coming off his worst start of the season after allowing six runs and nine hits - including four home runs - in five-plus innings of a 7-4 loss to the Houston Astros on Friday.

The right-hander's only start against the Marlins came on April 26. He allowed two runs and six hits in six innings of a 4-3 win.