Ivan Rodriguez is 22-for-50 over his last 12 games with 19 RBI and seven doubles.

July 8 ,2003

(Sports Network) - The Florida Marlins try for their fourth straight victory tonight as they start a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

The Marlins, coming off a three-game sweep at Philadelphia, have won 12 of their last 16 games to move three games above .500 for the first time since last season. They haven't been four games above the even mark since June 23 (39-35) last year. Despite their winning record, the Marlins are mired in fourth place in the National League East, 10 1/2 games behind the front- running Atlanta Braves. Yet, Florida is just three games out of a possible wildcard spot in the NL.

Ivan Rodriguez posted two RBI for Florida, which has won five of its last six games.

The Marlins are 21-24 on the road and have taken 13 of their last 18 contests outside Pro Player Stadium.

This will be the first meeting between the Marlins and Cubs since July 12-14, 2002. The all-time series between the squads is even at 47 wins apiece, but the Cubs won four of the six meetings last year. The Marlins have dropped four straight games to the Cubs. The Marlins are 22-25 all-time at Wrigley Field, but have dropped five straight games at Chicago.

Rodriguez has hit in 11 of his last 12 games, batting .440 (22-for-50) with 12 extra-base hits and 19 RBI over that span.

Recent Game Statistics:

7/7/2003 The Chicago Cubs beat the Florida Marlins, 6-3, in the opener of a three-game set at Wrigley Field. Ivan Rodriguez and Derrek Lee each homered.

7/8/2003 Rodriguez was 1-for-4 on 7/7/2003 (Monday), with a home run, his 12 th of the year.

7/2/2003  Rodriguez was 4-for-5 on Tuesday, with three runs scored and two RBI, to raise his batting average to .300.

6/28/2003 Rodriguez was one of four starters pulled early from Friday’s 25-6 rout5 at the hands of   the Red Sox.

6/27/2003 Rodriguez was 3-for-4 on Thursday with a double, a triple and an RBI.

Ivan Rodriguez drew five walks in the April 9, 2003 game. It was a rare occurrence:

First, we're talking about a player who's never drawn more than 38 walks in a season. And yet, somehow last night Pudge drew as many walks as any National Leaguer has drawn since 1891.

I've not been able to find out just how many National Leaguers have drawn five walks in a nine-inning game, but I do know that Vince Coleman was the last. And as you probably remember, Coleman wasn't exactly a champion walker. That said, Coleman did walk quite a bit more often than Rodriguez. Here are their career walk rates, expressed as a ratio of walks to walks plus at-bats :

Walks Walks AB Ratio

Coleman 477 5406 .081

Rodriguez 305 5680 .051

In other words, Coleman walked in roughly eight percent of his plate appearances, while Rodriguez has walked in only five percent of his. So while we wouldn't have expected Coleman to walk five times in nine innings, we really wouldn't have expected Pudge to walk five times in nine innings.