(Sports Network) - The Florida Marlins begin a very important stretch of road games when the struggling National League East contenders head to San Francisco's AT&T Park tonight for the first of three straight matchups with the Giants.

Florida enters this nine-game, three-city trek having lost four of the final five tests of its recent homestand and is just 3-7 over the last 10 games. The skid has dropped the Marlins to four games behind the division-leading New York Mets and 2 1/2 in back of second-place Philadelphia.

The Marlins' most recent setback came Sunday against NL Central front-runner Chicago, which erupted for eight seventh-inning runs to rally for a 9-2 victory in the rubber match of a three-game series.

Florida's Chris Volstad took a shutout into the top of the seventh, but was removed after issuing back-to-back hits to start off the inning. Renyel Pinto then relieved the rookie and surrendered a pair of two-run doubles to Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez that put the Cubs in front.

Reed Johnson capped Chicago's huge inning with a three-RBI double off Logan Kensing.

Pinto (2-5) was charged with five runs allowed and walked three batters while recording just two outs.

The Marlins hope to get back on track against a San Francisco squad that owns one of the worst home records in baseball, a 24-36 mark that betters only doormats Seattle and Washington. However, the Giants have won four of their last six as the host.

San Francisco also returns home off a successful four-game series in Atlanta, where the Giants won three times over the fading Braves. In Monday's finale, Barry Zito and two relievers combined on a seven-hit shutout to lead San Fran to a 5-0 triumph.

Zito (7-15) yielded just five hits and a pair of walks over the first seven frames, with Keichii Yabu and Sergio Romo each tossing one scoreless inning to finish out the Giants' second straight win.

Aaron Rowand belted a two-run homer to pace San Francisco offensively, while Pablo Sandoval went 2-for-4 with an RBI single.

Ricky Nolasco gets the call for Florida in tonight's opener and will be facing the Giants for the first time in his career. The third-year right-hander has put together a solid 2008 campaign, as he leads the Marlins in victories (11), earned run average (3.88) and strikeouts (126).

Nolasco has allowed three runs or fewer in four straight starts, although he's just 1-1 over that stretch. In his most recent mound trip, the right-hander held St. Louis to two runs over six innings and got a no-decision in an eventual 6-4 Florida loss last Wednesday.

The 25-year-old is a solid 6-3 with a 3.92 ERA in 13 road starts for the year.

Kevin Correia will take the hill for the Giants tonight and goes in search of only his third win of 2008. The versatile right-hander is coming off Thursday's no-decision at Houston in which he worked 6 2/3 innings and permitted four runs (3 earned) on seven hits.

Prior to that start, Correia delivered six innings of one-run ball in a no- decision at home against the Dodgers on August 9. However, he's just 2-6 with a 5.12 ERA in 16 appearances (15 starts) for the year.

Correia has faced the Marlins nine times, twice in a starting role, and gone 0-1 with a 7.65 ERA in those games. He has not pitched against Florida yet this season.

Florida won two of three tests from the Giants in Miami back in May. However, San Francisco is 10-4 over its last 14 encounters with the Marlins.