Marlins' Mattingly wants pitching consistency against Cards (Jul 05, 2017)

ST. LOUIS -- It is not that manager Don Mattingly expects his Miami Marlins rotation to be like the ones he had with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke aren't walking into that clubhouse any time soon, except for the All-Star Game.

However, he sure would like more outings like the one Jose Urena provided Tuesday and less like the ones produced by Jeff Locke on Monday and Tom Koehler on Saturday.

Urena was the antidote for Locke's wretched 11-run effort of Monday night, pitching five solid innings and earning the victory in Miami's 5-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

When the teams' four-game series continues Wednesday night in Busch Stadium, the Marlins (37-45) will start Edinson Volquez (4-8, 3.97 ERA).

"You don't want guys going five (innings) every time out, but just keep us in the game," Mattingly said. "We've shown that we're able to put runs up, but when you keep getting down five and six runs, it takes the energy out of the dugout."

Watching Locke tie a franchise high for runs allowed in a start two days after Koehler offered up a seven-run second inning in Milwaukee had to be baseball's equivalent of a summer storm that knocks out the electricity for the night.

With Volquez, there is no idea what the Marlins might get. He is capable of tossing a no-hitter, as he did June 3 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, or of forcing a manager to call for the bullpen before the first inning is over.

Volquez's good version showed up in Milwaukee on Friday night, when he allowed only three hits and a run in six innings with two walks and four strikeouts. Volquez left with a 2-1 lead but had to settle for a no-decision when the bullpen lost the lead and the game 3-2.

The veteran right-hander has made 17 starts against St. Louis in his career, going 5-6 with a 4.27 ERA. However, the former Cincinnati and Pittsburgh pitcher hasn't faced the Cardinals since 2015.

Another former Cincinnati right-hander, Mike Leake, takes the ball for St. Louis (40-43). He snapped a six-start winless streak Friday night at home, inducing four double plays from the Washington Nationals in an 8-1 decision. Leake (6-6, 2.97 ERA) worked eight innings, giving up five hits and a run with three walks and four strikeouts.

He has experienced a lot of success in his career against Miami, posting a 6-1 mark with a 2.36 ERA over seven starts.

Leake will look to give the Cardinals their first quality start in four games. Lance Lynn was on his way to doing that Tuesday until a three-run homer by Christian Yelich in the top of the sixth ruined those plans.

Lynn left one batter later, a shutout turned into a 3-2 deficit that wound up as a loss. He was charged with four runs (two earned) in 5 1/3 innings.

"I actually threw the ball pretty well," he said. "Just one bad pitch cost me three runs. That will happen, and he's a good hitter. He put a pretty good charge into it to the opposite field."