(Sports Network) - The NL East-leading Florida Marlins have a tough road ahead against division foes, as they begin a 10-game swing tonight with the first of three straight games against the New York Mets at Shea Stadium.

The Marlins, who are 2 1/2 games ahead of both Atlanta and Philadelphia in the division standings, will also visit the Phillies for three games before taking on the Braves in Dixie for four straight contests. New York sits 5 1/2 games off the pace and will try to gain some ground in this series.

Florida has won five of its last six games, including a sweep of a doubleheader versus the San Francisco Giants on Sunday. Dan Uggla sent the Dolphin Stadium faithful into a frenzy with a bases-loaded single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning for a 5-4 victory in the nightcap.

Jorge Cantu homered and finished with three RBI for the Marlins, while Hanley Ramirez finished 2-for-5 and scored a run. Jacque Jones knocked in his first run as a Marlin and reliever Kevin Gregg earned the win with a scoreless ninth after earning the save in the first game in the opener of the twinbill. Eulogio De La Cruz was called up from Triple-A Albuquerque to make a spot start -- the first of his major league career -- and allowed two runs on two hits in three innings.

Also in the first game, Uggla and Jeremy Hermida each slugged a two-run homer to spark an 8-6 win.

Florida will try to stay on track with Ricky Nolasco on the hill Monday. Nolasco is 2-0 with a 2.04 earned run average over his last three starts, and is coming off of his best outing of the season. Nolasco fired a season-high seven innings of one-run ball and allowed three hits in a 3-1 victory over Arizona last Wednesday.

Nolasco faced the Mets on March 31 this season, hurling three shutout innings of relief during a 7-2 loss for the no-decision. In six career games (four starts) against New York, the right-hander is 1-3 with a 10.80 ERA.

The Mets aren't doing much to save manager Willie Randolph's job, as they completed a rain-shortened road trip at 3-6. In Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Sunday in the finale of a three-game series at Coors Field, Jose Reyes went 1-for-4 with an RBI for the Mets, who have dropped six of their last seven contests.

New York starter John Maine suffered the loss, pitching six innings and giving up four runs -- three earned -- on three hits. He struck out eight and walked four batters. The Mets will open a seven-game homestand this evening against the Marlins, with four straight meetings versus Los Angeles on the horizon.

Mike Pelfrey will try to stop a five-game losing streak when he toes the rubber for New York on Monday night. Pelfrey, who is 2-5 with a 5.00 ERA in eight starts this season, has lost his last five trips to the mound and owns a 6.11 ERA over that stretch. Pelfrey is coming off of his worst outing of the campaign after he surrendered six runs and eight hits over a season-low four frames in an 11-4 setback at Atlanta.

Pelfrey, a right-hander, is 1-1 with a 4.67 earned run average through three career starts against the Marlins.

New York won two of three games against Florida at Dolphin Stadium to open the 2008 campaign from March 31 - April 2. The Mets have won six of the last nine meetings with the Marlins.