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(Sports Network) - The Florida Marlins are gradually battling their way back to the top of the National League East standings, as they resume a three-game series tonight against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.

Florida has won two in a row after a three-game losing streak and opened this current set with San Diego by recording a 3-1 victory. Starter Ricky Nolasco hurled eight solid innings of one-run ball and allowed five hits to win his fifth straight decision. Bespectacled closer Kevin Gregg tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to notch his 16th save.

Jorge Cantu belted a two-run homer and Alfredo Amezaga finished 3-for-4 at the plate for Florida, which pulled within 1 1/2 games of Philadelphia for NL East supremacy. The Phillies lost to the New York Mets on Monday night.

The Marlins are 2-3 so far on an 11-game road trip and 20-23 away from South Beach this season. They will hand the ball to Andrew Miller on Tuesday, and he is 5-7 with a 4.98 ERA in 18 starts this season.

Miller, though, is 0-2 in his previous three starts and 1-4 over the past five decisions. He last took the hill on Thursday at Colorado in a 6-5 loss, posting a no-decision after allowing three runs in 6 2/3 frames.

The lanky lefty faced the Padres just once in his career on May 4 this season at Dolphin Stadium. Miller limited San Diego to a pair of runs and four hits in six innings of work.

San Diego has lost two straight, four of six and 16 of its last 20 games. In Monday's 3-1 loss to Florida in the series opener, Greg Maddux gave up two runs -- one earned -- on four hits over six innings to take the loss. The four-time Cy Young Award winner extended his winless streak to 11 games, the longest drought since he went 13 straight outings without a victory from May 11-July 14, 1990. The 42-year-old has not registered a win since May 10 versus Colorado, going 0-4 with seven no decisions since registering his 350th career victory.

Chase Headley homered for the Padres, who have lost their last nine contests as the host. They haven't dropped 10 straight at home since losing 12 in a row from May 22-June 10 of the 1972 season.

San Diego is 0-1 on a six-game homestand and 21-27 at Petco Park this season.

Taking the ball for the Friars on Tuesday will be Randy Wolf. Wolf is 5-8 with a 4.59 earned run average over 18 starts. Wolf has lost four straight starts with an 8.31 ERA over that span after going 3-0 in the previous five trips to the hill.

In his most recent outing on July 2 at Colorado, Wolf yielded seven runs and six hits in four innings of an 8-1 setback. The left-hander hasn't fared too well in his career against the Marlins, going 3-12 with a 6.24 ERA in 19 appearances.

The Marlins won two of three clashes with San Diego in Miami back in May. Florida split a four-game set against the Padres in the team's only visit to San Diego last season.