GAME RECAP: Marlins Blank Phillies 1-0
The Marlins made the most of the few hits they were able to get
off Alec Asher on Thursday night. J.T. Realmuto's RBI triple in the seventh inning was
the only production Miami needed to edge the Phillies, 1-0, at Marlins Park. Six
Marlins pitchers combined for the club's 12th shutout of the season. Jarred Cosart, who threw four shutout innings, was
replaced in the fifth inning. In the fourth inning, he was struck on the left
forearm by a Cody Asche comeback
liner. A.J. Ramos picked up
his 29th save when Miguel Rojas made an
over-the-shoulder catch to end the game. "We didn't have that many hits,
but we had the right hits," Marlins manager Dan Jennings said. "The
bullpen came in and picked up five innings. I thought they were outstanding all
the way through. Really a fundamentally sound game." Miami was limited to
one hit, a first-inning single from Christian Yelich, before they broke through in the
seventh inning. Derek Dietrich reached
on an infield single with one out in the seventh, and he scored on Realmuto's
triple to right-center. A chance for Miami to tack on a second run was wiped
out when right fielder Brian Bogusevic threw
out Realmuto at the plate. Realmuto tagged on Rojas' fly ball to short right. Asher
gave up just three hits in seven innings, but Miami was able to claim two of
three in the series. "I think some of the guys are fatigued,"
Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said, referring to an offense that has suffered
five one-run losses in the past six games. "Even though they're young … I
think everybody is getting tired. The more you lose, the more beat up you
feel."
OTHER
NOTES FROM THE DAY:
- Asher had waited a long time to show
the Phillies he could pitch like this. He allowed three hits, one run, one
walk and struck out four in seven innings for the best start of his
five-start career. Before Thursday, Asher, whom the Phillies acquired in July
in the Cole Hamels trade,
had not pitched more than 5 2/3 innings or allowed fewer than four runs in
a start. Asher hopes his final start of the season on Wednesday against
the Mets can match this one. "I feel like with each start I've taken
I've kind of built more confidence," Asher said. "That was the
main thing coming into this game. I said I'm just going to go back to
pitching my game and attack hitters and not give them too much credit."
- The Marlins won a challenge in the
fourth inning after Yelich initially was called out on a close play at
first. Yelich tapped a routine grounder that second baseman Andres Blanco
bobbled before throwing to first. It took just 36 seconds for the call to
be overturned.
- Mackanin said injured first baseman Ryan Howard could take fielding and batting
practice this weekend in Washington. Howard has been sidelined for more
than a week with a bruised left knee. He will need to get going if he
expects to play again before the end of the season.
- The Phillies need to finish the
season 6-3 to avoid their first 100-loss season since 1961.
- Phillies infielder Freddy Galvis is hitting .245 with a homer
and eight RBIs against the Nationals this year.
- Outfielder Odubel Herrera is having a great year for
Philadelphia, hitting .291 with eight homers and 40 RBIs.
- Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann will likely pitch his last
game at Nationals Park as a member of the Nationals. He will be a free
agent after the season.
NEXT
GAME:
The Nationals will try
to stay alive in the National League East race as they face the Phillies in a
three-game series at Nationals Park. The last time the two teams faced each
other was last week in Philadelphia, with Washington sweeping the series. Bryce
Harper carried the team during that series, hitting four home runs. Harper's
best game came Sept. 15 in Philadelphia. Not only did he go deep twice and
drive in all of Washington's runs in a 4-0 win, but he put himself in the Nats'
record book, eclipsing Adam Dunn for most home runs in a season by a
left-handed hitter in franchise history. Dunn hit 38 homers in 2009 and '10. Harper
will face Phillies right-hander Jerad Eickhoff, who is on a roll. The rookie
has allowed one earned run in 14 innings over his last two starts. Remove a
Sept. 6 start in Boston when he allowed four runs in six innings and Eickhoff
has a 1.91 ERA.
PHILS PHACTS:
Asher Shows Improvement – Phillies rookie Alec Asher had waited a long time to show the
Phillies he could pitch like this. He put together a solid performance Thursday
night in a 1-0
loss to the Marlins at Marlins Park. He allowed
three hits, one run, one walk and struck out four in seven innings, making it
the best start of his five-start career. Oh, he also picked up two hits,
including the Phillies' only extra-base hit of the game. "I feel like with
each start I've taken, I've kind of built more confidence," Asher said.
"That was the main thing coming into this game. I said I'm just going to
go back to pitching my game and attack hitters and not give them too much
credit." He entered the night with a 9.78 ERA. He left with a 7.52 ERA. Asher,
whom the Phillies acquired in July as part of the Cole Hamels trade, makes his final start of the
season Wednesday night against the National League East-leading Mets at
Citizens Bank Park. He hopes to carry Thursday night's success through that
start and pack his bags for the offseason feeling better about Spring Training
2016. "You want to finish strong," Asher said. "That's the main
goal. I know I've started 0-5. I don't want to start my career like that, but
there's nothing I can do about those past games. But take the two here and
finish strong." Asher had allowed just one hit through six innings when
Marlins third baseman Derek Dietrich hit a
slow roller up the third-base line for a single. Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto followed with a triple to score
Dietrich for the game's only run. Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said he
thought Asher looked more confident from the first inning. "As poor as his
numbers are, it shows me a lot that he came out there like he had a
purpose," Mackanin said. "That's what the whole deal is about when
you get to the big leagues. Either you fight and you make it, or you give up.
Obviously, he's not giving up. He's going after it. That was the thing I saw
tonight." Asher figures to be in the mix for a rotation job come Spring
Training, with Aaron Nola and Jerad Eickhoff favorites for two spots. It is
expected the Phillies will sign at least a couple of veteran starters to fill
holes, which might leave Asher battling Adam Morgan, David Buchanan and others for the No. 5 job. "Some
guys it takes longer for them to feel comfortable and I'm hoping that's the
case with Asher," Mackanin said. "He looked very comfortable and he
looked aggressive out there, like he was in charge."
Who Wins The Leg Lamp? – For the first time in a long time it seems the Phillies had
multiple candidates to win the Paul Owens Awards. The Phillies on Thursday
named catcher Andrew Knapp and right-hander Ricardo Pinto as their Minor League
player and pitcher of the year, respectively. Knapp, 23, hit .308 with 35
doubles, 13 home runs, 84 RBIs and an .876 OPS in 118 games with Class A
Clearwater and Double-A Reading. Pinto, 21, went 15-4 with a 2.97 ERA in 24
starts with Class A Lakewood and Clearwater. "We are extremely proud of
these young men," Phillies player development director Joe Jordan said in
a statement. "They are both very deserving." It should be interesting
to watch Knapp continue to develop, considering the Phillies just acquired
catcher Jorge Alfaro from Texas in the Cole Hamels trade. It gives the Phillies two
legitimate frontline catching prospects. Alfaro is the Phillies'
No. 4 prospect and No. 61 prospect nationally,
according to MLBPipeline.com. Knapp ranks No. 17 in the organization. But
Knapp, whom the Phillies selected in the second round of the 2013 Draft,
clearly raised his game in Reading. He hit .360 with 21 doubles, 11 home runs,
56 RBIs and a 1.050 OPS in 55 games. He got a hit in 46 of those games,
including 24 multi-hit games. "He's an aggressive hitter and the strike
zone gets a little bit smaller as you move up and the umpires get better,"
Reading manager Dusty Wathan said Thursday, when asked about Knapp's surge in
Reading. "He stopped swinging at balls down and out of the zone. I think
that got him in trouble in Clearwater. He's got tremendous hand-eye
coordination. You put that together with bat speed and it's a good
combination." Knapp projects as an average defensive catcher, although the
Phillies think he can improve. He had Tommy John surgery in 2013, so he has
caught only 157 games professionally. "To be where he is in Double-A says
a lot about how much he has come along," Wathan said. "His bat is in
front of his defense, but I think he's improved a lot since I saw him halfway
through the season. We project him as more of an offensive catcher, but you
always get a little better defensively as you go." Much of the attention
this season has focused on pitching prospects like Aaron Nola, Jake Thompson, Zach Eflin, Ben Lively and
others. Pinto has flown under the radar a bit by everybody except the Phillies.
"Coming into the year, very few people outside of our organization knew of
Ricardo Pinto," Jordan said. "Based on his 2015 performance, that has
certainly changed. Ricardo is one of our most talented young arms, but equally
one of our most determined, competitive and driven players." Pinto signed
as an amateur free agent in Dec. 2011. He has a 2.77 ERA in 62 career Minor
League appearances. Dallas Green Award: The Phillies named international
scouting director Sal Agostinelli their 2015 Dallas Green Award winner. The
award honors an amateur or professional scout who "best exemplifies the
Phillies' standard for scouting while demonstrating the same loyalty, work ethic,
dedication and passion as the award's namesake." Agostinelli has been with
the Phillies since 1993. He was the international scouting supervisor for 15
years before being named to his current position in 2012. He has been involved
in signing players like Carlos Ruiz, Maikel Franco, Cesar Hernandez and Freddy Galvis. "I'm flattered and I can't
believe it," Agostinelli said. "Dallas Green is such a special guy to
me and my family."
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 57-96. 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 53-48-0 on this day.
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