(Sports Network) - Trying to avoid falling further back in the National League East race, the Philadelphia Phillies send red-hot hurler Brett Myers to the hill this afternoon in the finale of a three-game series with the visiting Florida Marlins at Citizens Bank Park.

The Phillies have split the first two games of this set, but Tuesday's 10-8 setback dropped the club 2 1/2 games back of the division-leading New York Mets, who topped Washington yesterday. Philadelphia is also three back of Milwaukee for the NL wild card spot and begin a big four-game set at home versus the Brewers on Thursday.

Myers has been one of the top pitchers in the league over the past 2 1/2 months. Since returning from a brief minor league stint from late June through early July to work out of an early-season slump, Myers is 6-1 with a 1.55 earned run average in nine starts.

The 28-year-old right-hander has won each of his last four starts, including Friday's outing versus the Mets in which he tossed eight shutout frames while allowing just three hits and two walks with 10 strikeouts. The victory improved Myers to 9-10 with a 4.19 ERA on the season.

Myers has pitched well at home this year, going 6-3 with a 2.77 ERA in 11 starts at Citizens Bank Park, and is 6-8 with two saves and a 5.05 ERA in 26 career tests versus the Marlins, 20 of those starts. He hasn't faced them since allowing five runs over 5 1/3 innings in a June 10 loss in Florida.

He will try to keep Florida in the ballpark today, something the Phillies couldn't do last night. Jorge Cantu, Mike Jacobs and Cody Ross all homered in Tuesday's win, giving the Marlins 188 homers this season. That number is two back of Philadelphia for most in the NL.

Cantu's homer was a three-run shot, while Dan Uggla added three hits and a pair of RBI to help the Marlins halt a three-game slide.

The Marlins got to Philadelphia starter Kyle Kendrick early. The right-hander entered the start with a 9.14 ERA over his previous five outings and was shelled for seven runs on six hits and two walks while recording just four outs.

Ryan Howard hit his major-league leading 41st homer of the season, while he also passed Texas' Josh Hamilton for the most RBI in the majors with 125. Shane Victorino and Greg Dobbs each drove in two runs as the Phils lost for the second time in five games.

They'll face the Marlins top starter this year today in Ricky Nolasco, who is 13-7 with a 3.56 ERA in 2008.

Nolasco hasn't allowed more than three runs in any of his last eight starts, going 3-1 in that span. He has posted back-to-back no-decisions despite holding the Mets and Cardinals to a total of four runs over 13 innings.

Nolasco, 25, is 3-3 with a 4.41 ERA in eight career outings versus the Phils, with five of those being starts. The righty did lose to the club on July 18 at home, yielding four runs on seven hits over seven frames.

The Marlins hold a 8-6 edge in the season series with the Phillies, with the clubs splitting eight tests in Philadelphia.