The Phillies were out of this one early.
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The Marlins took incremental steps in that direction with Thursday’s 9-7 win against Philadelphia, which extended their lead over the last-place Phillies to three games and left Miami on pace to finish 67-95.
“The first two innings, that was great to see”, Manager Dan Jennings said of the first two frames during which the Marlins scored a combined eight runs.
The offensive eruption was more than enough for Brad Hand, who allowed four hits and one run in six innings, striking out five.
– Adeiny Hechavarria extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a single in the first inning.
Ozuna went 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. Things were settling in for a nice, subservient Phillies loss until Aaron Altherr led off the seventh with a double.
“We got in a hole and tried to dig ourselves out”, Phillies interim manager Pete Mackanin said. Loewen allowed a run in the bottom of the eighth. “Our bats were silent for about five innings and then we started digging. We had a good chance to win that game”. Ozuna and Hechavarria were clutch by picking up runs batted in with two outs as well.
Philadelphia added two runs in the eighth against reliever Bryan Morris. Shortstop Freddy Galvis, who had an RBI single in the seventh, blasted a run-scoring triple in the eighth. The Marlins added a run and Cody Asche equalized it with a solo shot in the ninth, but no further ground was gained.
Jerome Williams was pounded for four runs in the first inning and four more in the second.
It was the second Marlins dinger that inning and put the team up, 8-1.
NOTES: Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton (fractured left hand) said he will return by September 1. He has been able to do two straight days, but he still has pain and was unable to hit on Wednesday, which started over the process….
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Phillies: RHP Jerad Eickhoff will make his major league debut Friday in the second game of this series.
