Texas-born right-hander Dillon Gee makes his first start since his 27th birthday on Wednesday when the New York Mets visit Marlins Park for the finale of a three-game series with the Miami Marlins.
Gee, who celebrated a birthday on Sunday, was a 13-game winner for the Mets in 2011 before skidding to just six wins in 17 starts last season.
He lost his initial three outings of 2013 before breaking through with a 2-0 defeat of Washington on April 21, in which he tossed 5 2/3 innings of scoreless three-hit ball with six strikeouts.
A subsequent start five days later yielded loss No. 4 after Gee was tagged for seven hits and four runs in six innings of a 4-0 loss to Philadelphia.
He's 1-0 in two lifetime outings against Miami.
Miami replies with lefty Wade LeBlanc, who once again aims for a first win of 2013 in his sixth start.
The Louisiana native lost his initial three starts before a no-decision at Cincinnati on April 20. Like Gee, a fifth start resulted in a fourth loss after he gave up four runs on eight hits in six innings against the Chicago Cubs.
Chicago won the game, 4-2, and dropped the Marlins to 0-5 in games LeBlanc has pitched.
The southpaw is 0-1 in six career meetings with the Mets, though he's maintained a stingy 2.42 earned run average through 22 1/3 innings.
On Tuesday, Juan Pierre scored the game-winning run on Brandon Lyon's ninth- inning, bases-loaded wild pitch as the Marlins again rallied for a 2-1 victory over the slumping Mets.
Chris Coghlan and Juan Pierre reached safely to put runners on the corners to open up the ninth, Donovan Solano poked an RBI single to right to tie the game.
Lyon, who was dealt with a blown save, then replaced starter Jeremy Hefner and was forced to intentionally walk Placido Polanco. His breaking ball attempt in the dirt, though, scooted past Anthony Recker to easily score Pierre for the game-winner.
The N.L. East rivals met less than 24 hours following Monday's 15-inning, 5- hour, 31-minute marathon which the Marlins won, 4-3. Tuesday's game, however, lasted just 2 hours and 25 minutes.
Miami, which has won three straight, saw starter Kevin Slowey last eight innings and allow a run on eight hits. Ryan Webb (1-1) picked up the win with a perfect ninth.
"We're trying to find ways to win," Pierre said. "We found all the ways to lose. Now we're trying to get on the winning side."
Recker's sacrifice fly in the fifth proved to be the only offense for the Mets, who extended their season-high losing streak to six games and once again let a late lead slip away versus the Marlins.
Hefner (0-3) tossed eight-plus innings and was tabbed for two runs on four hits, though he did strike out eight in defeat.
"That's my job to go out and give length, go deep in the games, and for the most part, I did that," Hefner said. "I wish I could have finished it, though."
The Mets won two of three games between the teams in an early April series and took 12 of 18 last season. The Marlins last won the season series in 2010. .
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