After allowing a total of 20 runs in his previous two starts, Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Jesus Luzardo returned to form with a dominant outing last week.
Luzardo will look to build on the performance when he takes the mound against his former team on Tuesday. The visiting Phillies opened a four-game series against the Miami Marlins with a 5-2 win on Monday.
Trea Turner slugged a game-opening home run among his three hits and drove in two runs for Philadelphia, which has won five straight. Turner is hitting .333 (18-for-54) with three homers and eight RBIs over his past 13 games.
Luzardo (6-2, 4.23 ERA) spent 3 1/2 seasons with the Marlins before being traded to Philadelphia in December. The 27-year-old is making his first start back in Miami since the trade.
“It’s a little weird standing here, seeing these (former Marlins teammates) again from a distance,” he said. “But it’s nice to be home. I grew up here, so I love being home.”
Luzardo started against the Marlins for the first time in his career on April 20 in Philadelphia, receiving a no-decision after allowing two runs (one earned) over seven innings.
Luzardo had a 2.15 ERA through his first 11 starts this season before giving up a total of 21 hits over 5 2/3 innings in back-to-back losses to the Milwaukee Brewers and the Toronto Blue Jays. He reversed course on Wednesday, allowing one run while striking out 10 over six innings in a 7-2 win over the Chicago Cubs.
“He’s very competitive, and he wants to do well all the time,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “He’s a really nice guy off the field. When he gets on that hill, he’s a bear, he really is. And I think (the rough outings) bothered him a lot. So I’m happy for him.”
Miami will counter with right-hander Cal Quantrill (3-7, 5.61 ERA), who has lost his past three starts. He yielded four runs (three earned) over five innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday.
After posting a 3.18 ERA in five starts last month, the 30-year-old veteran has allowed a total of six runs (five earned) across 10 innings in his two June outings.
Kyle Schwarber is 3-for-17 (.176) with three homers against Quantrill, who is 1-1 with a 5.31 ERA in four career starts vs. Philadelphia.
Miami had its three-game winning streak snapped on Monday, when it was held to five hits. The Marlins trailed 3-2 before the Phillies added two runs in the ninth.
“We lost today, so that was the only thing that we don’t like,” Miami pitcher Sandy Alcantara said. “But tomorrow, we’ve got another opportunity to battle out there and work.”
Marlins center fielder Dane Myers was hit by a pitch on his left elbow in the second inning, and he exited the game before the top of the fourth.
“It was a tough spot to get hit there on the elbow,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. “Tried to go and some swelling came into the area, so it was going to be tough to swing at that point. We’ll evaluate tonight, he’ll get treatment, and we’ll see tomorrow.”
Philadelphia is monitoring the status of second baseman Bryson Stott, who is listed as day-to-day after hyperextending an elbow on a swing in the Monday game. He finished 1-for-4.
–Field Level Media
