Miami Marlins nearly overcome nine-run deficit but fall short to Philadelphia Phillies
.JPG "Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto, right, tags out Miami Marlins’ Curtis Granderson at home after Grandson tried to score on a single by Miguel Rojas during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, April 27, 2019, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)")
The Miami Marlins came so close to pulling off the unthinkable.
Trailing by nine with four innings left, the Marlins put together their best three-inning offensive stretch of the season, scoring eight runs in that span. They strung together at-bats, moved station to station and ultimately showed the approach needed at the plate for this club in this condition to win ballgames.
But in the end, it wasn’t enough to erase two bad innings earlier in the game — one by starting pitcher Trevor Richards, another by reliever Jarlin Garcia — that put the Marlins in a deep hole for the eventual 12-9 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. A nine-run deficit would have been the largest the Marlins have overcome in franchise history.
“A roller coaster,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “You see some good things. You see some things you didn’t like as much, but obviously you like how the guys continue to play. ... You’re not going to get any moral victories, but you’re always encouraged when your club continues to play and continues to battle and show what those guys are made of.”
Richards, the 25-year-old righty with one of the best change-ups in MLB, gave up four earned runs in a nine-batter, 35-pitch second inning to put the Marlins in the early hole. The damage started with a solo home run by Nick Williams on a change-up that stayed a bit too high in the zone. Cesar Hernandez and Maikel Franco both singled, and Andrew McCutchen loaded the bases when he drew a walk. Hernandez scored on a passed ball. Franco and McCutchen scored on a Bryce Harper double.
Richards gave up a fifth run on a solo homer from McCutchen in the fourth before turning over to the bullpen for the final five innings.
“I didn’t execute pitches,” said Richards, who fell to 0-4 on the season and saw his ERA rise to 4.64. “I didn’t have the best stuff.”
Garcia, the first out of the pen, only put the Marlins in a bigger bind. He gave up five runs in the fifth on four hits, two walks and a hit batsman.
The Marlins offense, which had produced just five hits and one run at that point, then began to click.
The sixth: Four runs on six hits, including four consecutive singles to open the frame and knock Phillies starter Jake Arrieta out of the game. 10-5.
“It’s what we’ve been showing all season long,” said outfielder Curtis Granderson, who went 3 for 4 with a double, a walk and a run and almost had a second run scored in the sixth on a Miguel Rojas two-out single to right that Harper threw to J.T. Realmuto at home for the tag. “We’re not going to lay down and quit. Everybody just continues to try to get it to the next man and put together good at-bats and keep yourself in the ballgame.”
The seventh: Two runs on a Jorge Alfaro home run to right field, his fifth of the year. 10-7.
“It’s not over until they get all 27 outs,” Alfaro said. “We’re going to fight.
The eighth: Two runs on three hits. 10-9.
“Now you’ve got a game,” Mattingly said.
The close game was short-lived, though. Rhys Hoskins extended the Phillies’ lead back to three with a two-run home run off Drew Steckenrider.
The Marlins got two base runners on in the ninth with an Isaac Galloway single and Rosell Herrera walk, but pinch hitter Chad Wallach, representing the tying run, struck out to end it.
The Marlins finished with 17 hits, and five players had multi-hit outings.
The four-game series concludes Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
This story was originally published April 27, 2019 at 9:45 PM.
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