Cincinnati (30-34) at Florida (34-28)

With the major-league ERA leader on their roster, the Cincinnati Reds are unlikely to suffer many long losing streaks.

Volquez will look to continue his run of dominant starts while preventing a third straight Reds defeat when he takes the mound Monday for the finale of Cincinnati’s four-game series at the Florida Marlins.

Each of Volquez’s last three starts has followed a Cincinnati loss, and although he has received only one decision in those outings, the Reds (30-34) have won each time.

The right-hander’s six innings of two-hit, one-run ball on May 23 against San Diego helped the Reds snap a four-game skid. A week later, six more strong innings contributed to an 11-inning win against Atlanta the day after a 13-2 loss to Pittsburgh.

On Wednesday, Volquez (8-2, 1.32 ERA) took the ball after Cincinnati dropped its first two games in Philadelphia, and even an opposing pitcher flirting with a no-hitter wasn’t enough to beat him. Phillies right-hander Brett Myers didn’t allow a hit until the seventh inning, but the Reds won 2-0 behind Volquez’s seven innings of two-hit ball.

“(Wednesday) was probably the very best example of what he’s meant to us the whole year,” Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto told the team’s official Web site. “He threw great. He really took care of us and took care of the offense today, and he took care of the entire team.”

While Josh Hamilton - the player Cincinnati traded away in the offseason to acquire Volquez - leads the majors in RBIs, the 24-year-old right-hander has been just as good on the mound. Volquez has not given up more than two runs in any of his 12 starts, having allowed only 49 hits in 75 innings.

His 91 strikeouts and .188 opponent batting average are also tops in the majors.

Volquez gave up one run in six innings of a 5-3 home win over Florida on May 13 - part of a three-game sweep for the Reds - but he’ll face a Marlins offense that has totaled 17 runs in the last two games.

The Marlins (34-28) won 9-2 on Sunday, as Hanley Ramirez had his second multi-home run game in five days. In his last five games, Florida’s shortstop is 8-for-21 with five homers and eight RBIs.

“I don’t think about hitting home runs at all,” Ramirez said. “I just think about staying inside the ball.”

Cincinnati’s Ken Griffey Jr. has to be thinking about homering, but he’s been producing everything but a long ball. In seven games since he hit his 599th career home run, Griffey is 6-for-14 with three doubles and nine walks. He was 0-for-1 with two walks before being removed from Sunday’s game.

“They’re pitching him carefully,” Reds manager Dusty Baker said.

Griffey is 5-for-8 with a home run in his career against Marlins starter Mark Hendrickson (7-3, 5.33), who has an 11.66 ERA in his last three starts.

Hendrickson (7-3, 5.33) gave up four runs and nine hits in six innings at Atlanta Wednesday, but did not factor in the decision of Florida’s 6-4 victory. He lost to Volquez at Cincinnati last month after allowing four runs in five innings.

The left-hander is 0-2 with an 8.49 ERA in five career starts against the Reds.