(My Sportsbook) - Florida Marlins rookie pitcher Graham Taylor will try to keep the ball rolling this afternoon, when he takes the mound against the Chicago Cubs in the second test of a four-game series at Wrigley Field.

The NL East-leading Marlins have won three in a row since a seven-game skid and hope that Taylor can rebound from losing his major league debut on Sunday against Philadelphia. In a 13-2 loss to the Phillies, Taylor was reached for four runs on four hits and six walks over 3 2/3 innings.

The lefty has a chance to take advantage of a struggling Chicago squad that has dropped seven of its last nine contests.

Florida handed the Cubs an 8-2 loss in 10 innings in Thursday's series opener, thanks to a six-run explosion in the deciding frame. Jorge Cantu continued to swing a hot bat for the Marlins and drove in three runs with a double to highlight the top of the 10th inning. Cantu, who also homered and ended with four RBI, owns six hits -- including four homers -- and 10 runs batted in over the last three games.

Dan Uggla and Cameron Maybin each had two hits and an RBI for the Marlins, who lead the NL East by two games over the Phillies. Florida starter Chris Volstad was reached for a pair of runs and three hits in seven frames for the no- decision, while striking out five batters. Renyel Pinto (2-0) collected the win by getting the final out in the ninth inning.

The Marlins improved to 3-1 on a seven-game road trip.

Milton Bradley and Mike Fontenot both homered for the Cubs, who got two hits from Ryan Theriot in defeat.

Chicago starter Sean Marshall did not factor in the outcome after pitching seven solid innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts and a pair of walks. Aaron Heilman (2-1) was saddled with the loss by getting rocked for six runs -- five earned -- in the top of the 10th inning.

The Cubs will hand the ball to Rich Harden on Friday, and he is coming off back-to-back wins against Cincinnati and St. Louis. Harden threw six innings of two-run ball in each of those outings and struck out nine in a 10-3 victory over the Cardinals on Sunday. Harden improved to 2-1 with a 3.86 ERA in four trips to the hill this season and has fanned at least eight batters in each of those starts.

The right-hander is 0-0 with a 1.69 earned run average in two career starts against the Marlins.

Chicago won four of the seven meetings with Florida a year ago.