Unlikely player leading Dodgers as Marlins visit

On a roster full of stars, Andy Pages currently is leading the way for the Los Angeles Dodgers' offense.

Pages will look to keep his hot streak going in the opener of a three-game home series against the Miami Marlins on Monday.

His weekend versus the Pittsburgh Pirates featured three games of at least three hits, including four hits in Los Angeles' 9-2 win on Sunday to match a career high. He set a career best with four RBIs against the Pirates and now has multiple hits in four of his past five games.

With Dodgers manager Dave Roberts bemoaning the offense's inconsistency after the team lost the series opener to the Pirates on Friday, Pages has been the answer for which the team has been looking.

"I'm just excited for Andy," Roberts said, adding that Pages' surge has been more from an improved mental approach than any mechanical adjustments. "You just see the confidence, the joy of just playing and competing. He's picked us up with some big hits. Just really happy for him."

After a road game on April 19 against the Texas Rangers, Pages was batting .159 with a .544 OPS. Five games and 13 hits later, he is batting .277 with an .861 OPS.

"They talked to me and told me to go play, relax, to be myself, and things are working out," Pages said through an interpreter.

Teoscar Hernandez also is starting to heat up for Los Angeles with key home runs in each of the previous two games, both victories over Pittsburgh. His eight homers are tied for the team lead with Tommy Edman.

The Dodgers are set to send right-hander Dustin May (1-1, 3.68 ERA) to the mound on Monday. He is 2-1 with a 1.08 ERA lifetime against the Marlins in three career starts, the most recent in 2022.

The Marlins will counter with right-hander Edward Cabrera (0-1, 6.14) as they come off a series loss on the road against the Seattle Mariners. Cabrera gave up three runs in five innings of a no-decision Tuesday at home against the Cincinnati Reds with a season-best seven strikeouts.

In four career appearances (three starts) against the Dodgers, Cabrera is 1-3 with a 10.93 ERA. He was crushed for 11 runs with nine walks in two starts against Los Angeles last season.

The Marlins received a game-tying three-run homer from Connor Norby in the eighth inning before they lost 7-6 in the 10th inning on Sunday. Norby had three hits and Agustin Ramirez hit two home runs, however his groundout to second base ended the game.

Since making his major league debut last Monday, Ramirez is batting .474 with a 1.682 OPS and has three home runs with five RBIs in five games.

"He's ready to hit every single pitch, and it feels like if it's not where he's looking for it, he's got the ability to check off and lay off tough breaking balls and get into an at-bat," Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said. "There's a real calmness to him in the box now, and when he's getting something that he's looking for in an area, he's ready to pull off an A swing."

McCullough will be making his return to Dodger Stadium after he was the first-base coach in Los Angeles the previous four seasons.