GAME RECAP: Phillies Edge Marlins 4-2
The Phillies picked an opportune time to belt their first
back-to-back home runs this season. With one out in the ninth inning on
Saturday, Aaron Altherr
and Darin Ruf each connected off A.J. Ramos, lifting Philadelphia to a 4-2 victory
over Miami at Marlins Park. The Marlins held a two-run lead until two outs in
the eighth inning, when the Phillies began to do their damage with solo shots. Darnell Sweeney homered off Justin Nicolino in the eighth for his first MLB hit.
Philadelphia has won two of three in the four-game series, and is now one game
behind Miami for last place in the National League East. "It felt good to
get that hit," Altherr said. "We made a good comeback there at the
end and that's all we needed. We just needed a couple hits in a row and get
some runs scored. I'm just glad I was able to be a part of that." Nicolino,
in his best big league start, held the Phillies scoreless on three hits through
the first 7 2/3 innings. But with the rookie one out away from a clean eighth
inning, Sweeney delivered a pinch-hit homer and Cesar Hernandez slapped a single to left. Nicolino
was replaced after 101 pitches. Andres Blanco doubled to left on a 1-2 pitch from
reliever Bryan Morris, pulling
the Phillies even at 2. "We wasted a good performance," Morris said.
"[Nicolino] dominated for 7 1/2 innings. You'd think it wouldn't be that
hard to get one out. But sometimes it ends up being a crucial point in the
game. I think if I do my job there, the game turns out different." The
Marlins managed two hits and two runs off Phillies right-hander Aaron Harang, and three hits overall in the game. One
of them was Derek Dietrich's
bases-loaded, two-run double in the third inning, which gave Miami a lead it
held until Philadelphia responded twice in the eighth. "It's bad spots.
It's strictly about location," Marlins manager Dan Jennings said on the
homers in the ninth. "You make mistakes, they're going to make you pay.
Again, it's frustrating to see that."
OTHER
NOTES FROM THE DAY:
- The Phils stayed hot against Ramos,
launching two more home runs off the Marlins' closer to push the series
total to three. While Altherr and Ruf each launched one in the ninth on
Saturday, Cody Asche homered
in the ninth off Ramos in Thursday's 9-7 loss. Additionally, Jeff Francoeur
also hit a walk-off homer vs. Ramos on July 19 in Philadelphia. "We
got to their closer, who's been outstanding all year," Phillies
interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "You don't expect that, but the
home runs are fun to see."
- Sweeney -- pinch-hitting in the top of the eighth for the
third at-bat of his career -- jumped on Nicolino's first-pitch 84-mph
cutter and hit it beyond the left-center-field wall to cut the Phillies'
deficit to 2-1. The homer, which marked Sweeney's first career hit, landed
a projected 445 feet from home plate with a 105-mph exit speed, according
to Statcast™. "It was a good feeling," Sweeney said. "I put
a good swing on a good ball and it carried out. That's all I was trying to
do was be aggressive early in the count."
- "That third inning, I was just
missing some pitches and they were doing a good job of taking pitches and
battling. They say walks end up killing you -- and they almost did -- but
the guys saw I was battling and they were able to come up and get a couple
big hits." -- Harang, who walked four in the first three innings.
- The Phillies have beaten the Marlins
five of six times since the All-Star break.
- Nola and Conley will face their respective opponents for the
first time in their careers.
- Ryan Howard, who hit three doubles in Friday's win, should be
back in the Phillies' lineup after not starting on Saturday.
- The Marlins are tagging the contest as Dontrelle Willis and
Juan Pierre Day. Willis, a left-handed pitcher, and Pierre, a center
fielder, were key players on the Marlins' 2003 World Series championship
team. The first 10,000 fans in attendance will receive either a Willis or
Pierre T-shirt.
NEXT
GAME:
After walking a career
high in his last start, promising Phillies rookie Aaron Nola looks to regain
his control in Sunday's series finale in Miami. He'll match up with Marlins
rookie Adam Conley, who also wasn't sharp in his last outing. Nola (3-1, 4.41
ERA) walked four batters on Tuesday against Toronto, taking a no-decision as he
allowed three earned runs in five innings. The four walks marked the most he
has allowed in a professional start -- which includes 29 Minor League starts
and six Major League starts. "I anticipate him having good command,"
Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "The only thing he has to be
careful of is, if he gets hit -- a lot of times players will be pitching well
and then all of a sudden they get hit around one time, so they get less
aggressive and try to nitpick. He has to avoid that." Conley (1-0, 5.82
ERA) went just 3 2/3 innings on Tuesday in Milwaukee, getting roughed up for
four earned runs on nine hits. This will be his third start since being inserted
into the rotation on Aug. 12.
PHILS PHACTS:
Early Success – Phillies rookies Darnell Sweeney and Aaron Altherr aren't established home run hitters by
any means, but the clutch power display by the youngsters in Saturday's 4-2
comeback win at Marlins Park was certainly an
encouraging sign for Philadelphia's future. Trailing 2-0 in the eighth, the
recently acquired Sweeney -- who's ranked 11th on the Phillies'
top prospect list,
according to MLBPipeline.com -- pinch-hit and launched his first career homer
-- which also marked his first Major League hit. Meanwhile, the left fielder
Altherr, Philadelphia's No. 24 prospect who was just recalled from Triple-A
Lehigh Valley on Tuesday, launched the go-ahead homer in the ninth for the
second long ball of his career. "We just needed a couple hits in a row and
get some runs scored," Altherr, 24, said. "I'm just glad I was able
to be a part of that." Said the 24-year-old Sweeney: "I was just
trying to be a little sparkplug in the lineup, and that's what they wanted me
to do. I'm glad we got the win after it. It makes me feel better." Sweeney's
solo shot -- which was a blast that landed a projected 445 feet from home
plate, according to Statcast™
-- came off Marlins lefty Justin Nicolino, who hadn't allowed a run for 7 2/3
innings. It was only the third big league at-bat for the switch-hitting Florida
native, who was just acquired from the Dodgers on Wednesday in the Chase Utley trade. "That was a nice thing to
see," Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. "He crushed that
ball, which is a good sign. ... From both sides, we like his swing. That's one
of the reasons we got him in the trade." Mackanin also raved about
Altherr's swing, which he said is much improved since Spring Training. Altherr
-- who is 4-for-13 with two homers since being recalled -- tagged Marlins
closer A.J. Ramos to break a
2-2 tie. Darin Ruf then followed
with a solo homer, as the duo recorded the first back-to-back homers for the
Phillies this season. "His swing path is different -- he's more compact
and he's got more bat speed than I thought he had based on what I saw in the
spring," Mackanin said. "He looks like he's gonna be a pretty good
hitter, and we know he's a good defensive player, so nice-looking young
guy." Mackanin added after the game that Sweeney earned himself his first
career start in Sunday's series finale, while Altherr has started four of the
past five games. "Just better pitch selection than years before,"
Altherr said. "I'm waiting for my pitch and not trying to swing at
everything -- just being selective and it's paying off. Hopefully I can
continue to keep that going."
Settling Down – Just like Phillies veteran Aaron Harang has been working extra the past couple
of weeks to break his August slump, the righty did some soul searching after a
rough third inning in Saturday's outing and regrouped to notch a quality start
in Philadelphia's 4-2
comeback win at Marlins Park. "I kind of
figured some things out after that inning -- felt like I was rushing a little
bit," Harang said. "I was able to think about it after the inning. I
told myself to slow down and get things under control." The 37-year-old
tossed seven innings on 110 pitches, allowing two earned runs on two hits and
three walks. The no-decision ended a three-game losing streak to start August
in which he had allowed 18 runs on 26 hits in 15 innings. "I just kind of
have been figuring some things out," said Harang, who was reinstated from
the 15-day disabled list on July 30. "We've kind of been working on stuff
this past week in the bullpen. It felt like ever since I came back, I was
rushing a little bit and not getting my arm on top enough." It looked like
it might be another rough outing for Harang after he allowed two third-inning
runs on three walks and a two-run double by Derek Dietrich. But he didn't surrender a hit the
rest of the way and kept the Phillies within striking distance -- which they
took advantage of by scoring four runs in the final two innings. "That
third inning I was just missing some pitches and they were doing a good job of
taking pitches and battling," Harang said. "They say walks end up
killing you -- and they almost did -- but the guys saw I was battling and they
were able to come up and get a couple big hits." Said interim manager Pete
Mackanin said, "He settled down and pitched very well. He's a bulldog --
he has a bulldog mentality. It hasn't been going his way most of the year, at
least in the second half. But I know he's got that in him."
THE BEGINNING:
The
Phillies have returned to their lackluster ways and regained their grip on last
place in the NL East with a record of 49-74. Given the departures, aging stars,
injuries, and bipolar performances this season, this could still end up
being the worst team in franchise history… at least that is something to hope
for this year! All time, the Phillies are 36-60-0 on this day.
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