--The Marlins open a three-game series at home against the defending World Series champion Phillies on Friday. Despite Florida's three-game losing streak, the team is encouraged that its 11-4 start will bring out large crowds.
"The fan support we got for Washington and New York (in the first home series) was tremendous. It would mean even more than it usually would due to the tough economy for people to come out and show support," C John Baker said. "We had a solid start and we had a little bump in the road. But now we're playing the defending World Series champions. They did what we want to do, so it would be nice for us to go out and have a great series against them."
--The Marlins got swept in three games at Pittsburgh after starting their road trip off with separate three-game sweeps in Atlanta and Washington.
"The good thing is it teaches us a little bit of humility," C John Baker said. "We don't just do it to other (teams). They can do it to us as well. To get knocked back down a little bit might be good for us moving on as April ends."
Did their previous series in Washington take an emotional toll? The Marlins clawed back against the Nationals to become the first team in more than 10 years to win three straight games in which they'd trailed in their last at-bat.
"Maybe mentally or in the back of your mind, it might take a lot of energy out of it," RF Cody Ross said. "For me, you try to feed off that and keep the momentum rolling. We weren't able to do that."
BY THE NUMBERS: 24 -- Consecutive scoreless innings, a franchise record for the Marlins bullpen that ended Sunday when RHP Leo Nunez allowed a run in the eighth inning.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's been a blast. We're having a good time with it." -- LF Jeremy Hermida, on the team's sizzling start.
