Mets hope for series victory over Marlins

The New York Mets can wrap up a series win with a victory game series from Citi Field.

The Mets swept a doubleheader on Monday to kick off the series, but dropped a 6-0 decision Tuesday. Mike Pelfrey had zero help from the offense and allowed four runs on six hits and four walks in six innings to suffer the loss.

"I didn't throw as many secondary pitches for strikes as I would have liked to or as I needed to," Pelfrey said. "That ended up being the difference."

Mets starters were 4-0 with a 1.29 ERA in the past four games until Pelfrey was banged around. David Wright and Josh Thole finished with two hits apiece for the Mets, who had won four in a row. Angel Pagan went 0-for-4, but has still reached base safely in 21 of 24 contests this month.

Chris Capuano will try to get New York on track when he takes the mound tonight and is coming off an impressive performance in Friday's 6-0 win over Atlanta. He tossed a two-hit shutout and struck out a career-high 13 batters to improve to 10-11 with a 4.43 ERA in 27 games (25 starts) this season.

Capuano has faced the Marlins 12 times (11 starts) in his career and is 4-4 with a 3.55 earned run average.

Florida improved to 3-3 in its last six games with Tuesday's win and is 2-2 on a six-game road trip. Javier Vazquez earned the win with seven shutout innings of three-hit ball and six strikeouts. Vazquez also reached the 2,500-strikeout mark in the process, becoming the 30th pitcher in major league history to reach that number.

"I didn't even know I was close to 2,500," Vazquez said after the game. "When I got to the dugout the guys were like 'congratulations, congratulations' and I was like 'thank you, bye.'"

Logan Morrison hit a two-run single and Mike Stanton finished with three hits, two runs scored and an RBI for Florida.

Shortstop Hanley Ramirez experienced discomfort in his left shoulder during a rehab assignment with Class A Jupiter and could miss the remainder of the season. Ramirez is back in south Florida to undergo tests by team doctors.

"It didn't feel right, and he took himself out," Marlins president of baseball operations Larry Beinfest said on the team's site. "He's going to the doctor in Miami. I wouldn't say it's good. I don't know anything else other than that."

Chris Volstad has lost three straight starts and will take the hill for the first time since last Wednesday's 3-2 setback versus Cincinnati. He allowed three runs and five hits in six innings, falling to 5-11 with a 5.61 ERA in 23 starts this season. Volstad has allowed at least three runs in each of his previous seven outings.

Volstad, a right-hander, is 2-4 in 11 road starts this season and 1-2 with a 3.51 ERA in six career starts against the Mets.

Florida has won eight of 13 meetings with New York this season.