(SportsNetwork.com) - Dee Gordon comes into Monday's meeting against his former Los Angeles Dodgers club leading the majors in batting average and in the midst of a 13-game hitting streak.
Gordon, though, will be put to the test in this opener of a three-game series as his Miami Marlins have to contend with the National League's earned run average leader in Zack Greinke.
The Marlins and Dodgers pulled off a seven-player trade back on Dec. 11, with Gordon, Dan Haren and Miguel Rojas going to the Marlins in exchange for Andrew Heaney, Enrique Hernandez, Chris Hatcher and Austin Barnes. Both Haren and Gordon have been key additions for the Marlins, with Haren off to a 4-1 start in six starts on the mound and Gordon leading the majors with a .439 batting average.
Gordon has a hit in all but three of his 29 games this season and is batting an incredible .556 over his current hit streak. He sat for two games due to a leg injury, but returned to action on Sunday and smacked a pair of doubles in a 3-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants.
Miami was in position for the win, but ended up splitting the four-game set and falling to 3-4 on a 10-game road trip due to closer Steve Cishek's blown save. He failed to hold a one-run lead as he walked in the tying run before serving up a two-out RBI single to Matt Duffy.
"It felt like a good pitch (to Duffy) with the fastball down and away," Cishek said.
Miami faces a tall task in its rebound effort tonight as Greinke looks to become the NL's second six-game winner this season.
Greinke has won five straight starts since opening the year with a no-decision and leads the league with a 1.56 ERA. He is off to his second straight 5-0 start and has won 10 consecutive decisions dating back to last season.
The right-hander has not lost since Aug. 9 at Milwaukee and beat those same Brewers on the road last Tuesday. He scattered an unearned run, two hits and a pair of walks over 7 2/3 innings while matching a season high with seven strikeouts.
Greinke, 31, has never lost to the Marlins, going 3-0 with a 3.97 ERA in six games (5 starts).
The Dodgers have won three games in a row and Justin Turner's two-run, pinch- hit homer on Sunday keyed a 9-5 win over the Colorado Rockies.
Adrian Gonzalez finished with two hits, four RBI and one run scored, while Howie Kendrick, Hernandez and A.J. Ellis each drove in a run.
Pedro Baez earned his first career win after tossing 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Starter Clayton Kershaw allowed five runs on eight hits and four walks over 5 2/3 frames.
"Definitely not up to par for what I expect and this team expects," Kershaw said.
The Marlins tonight turn to right-hander Tom Koehler, who is coming off a 7-5 loss to the Washington Nationals on Wednesday.
Koehler was blitzed for five runs on seven hits over six innings, serving up three home runs to Washington's Bryce Harper. He walked one batter and fanned five while falling to 2-3 with a 5.18 ERA on the season.
The 28-year-old will make the fourth start of his career tonight against the Dodgers and is 1-2 against them with a 3.45 ERA.
The Marlins and Dodgers split six meetings last season, with Los Angeles winning two of three at home.
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