Righty Kris Medlen goes for a third straight victory and seventh in nine decisions on Monday night when the Atlanta Braves visit Marlins Park to open a four-game series with the Miami Marlins.
A 10-game winner in 11 decisions last season, Medlen was just 6-10 this year after a 4-1 loss to the New York Mets on July 23.
He subsequently won consecutive decisions over St. Louis, Philadelphia, Washington and Philadelphia again, then defeated Cleveland and the Mets in succession after two interim losses.
The recent wins have seen the 27-year-old give up just one run on 13 hits in 14 innings as he's lowered his 2013 ERA from 3.74 to 3.48.
Medlen is 4-1 in 17 career meetings with Miami.
For the Marlins, 23-year-old righty Henderson Alvarez returns after leaving his most recent start with an injury.
Alvarez gave up three runs on seven hits in six innings of what turned out to be a 4-3 defeat of the Chicago Cubs on Sept. 2, but left early after complaining of tightness in his right hamstring.
The victory was his first since July 31, a span that had seen him start five times in August while going 0-2 and seeing his ERA climb from 2.61 to 3.90.
Alvarez is 0-1 in three career starts against Atlanta.
On Sunday in Philadelphia, Darin Ruf's eighth-inning solo home run helped the Phillies complete a three-game sweep of the Braves with a 3-2 victory from Citizens Bank Park.
With the score tied at 2-2, Ruf led off the home half of the eighth and sent a David Carpenter (3-1) offering over the fence in right on a 3-2 count to put the Phillies ahead. B.J. Rosenberg came on in the ninth and recorded a 1-2-3 inning to record his first career save.
Cole Hamels (7-13) was stellar for the Phils, striking out nine in eight innings of work, allowing two runs on two hits, both solo home runs by Braves' rookie Evan Gattis.
In Miami, Wilson Ramos went 3-for-5 with a solo homer, two RBI and two runs scored as the Washington Nationals beat the Marlins, 6-4, in the rubber match of a three-game series.
Adeiny Hechavarria and Greg Dobbs had an RBI apiece for the Marlins, who went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranded six. Jacob Turner (3-6) got the start for Miami and gave up five runs on nine hits over four-plus innings.
Atlanta won 10 of the first 15 games with the Marlins this season, including two of three in a series from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1.
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