Surprise visit from Giancarlo Stanton doesn’t provide lift for Miami Marlins in 3-1 loss to San Diego Padres

Giancarlo Stanton was a surprise visitor to Petco Park on Saturday, in Southern California to visit family and friends while his injured hand continues to heal.

The Marlins could have used him.

For the second consecutive game, they managed only one run in what was a 3-1 loss to the Padres that assured the Marlins of a losing road trip.

“It would be nice to see No. 27 back up there at some point,” said manager Dan Jennings.

Derek Dietrich’s solo homer in the seventh ended a 14-inning scoreless drought, but was the only offense the Marlins could muster in yet another anemic night at the plate.

Not that the Padres are lighting up the scoreboard. They were shutout the first game of the series on Thursday, held to only three runs on Friday (all three of them solo homers), and three more on Saturday.

But it’s been enough to take two of the first three games of the series.

Saturday’s setback was the sixth loss of the 10-game trip for the Marlins, which concludes Sunday.

With David Phelps on the mound for the Marlins, the Padres nearly erupted for a big-inning in the first when, with the bases loaded, Yonder Alonso sent a long fly ball to center.

But Christian Yelich hauled it in front of the 396-foot marker in center, and the Padres managed to produce only one run.

“I’m just lucky he didn’t put it in the seats,” Phelps said.

The Padres made it 2-0 in the second after Phelps gave up a two-out double to his pitching counterpart, Ian Kennedy, who then scored on a Will Venable hit.

“Every time I go out and give up runs early, I’m putting us in a hole,” Phelps said. “I’m really doing us a disservice early in the game giving up runs.”

For their part, the Marlins provided Phelps with no help whatsoever until after he came out for a pinch-hitter in the seventh. That’s when Dietrich cranked his fifth home run and J.T. Realmuto followed immediately with a triple.

It was the fifth triple of the season for Realmuto, which not only leads the Marlins — yes, one more than Dee Gordon — but also all major league catchers in that category.

But the Marlins let it go to waste. Padres reliever Brandon Maurer took over and promptly retired the next three hitters, stranding Realmuto at third.

“That’s two nights in a run we’ve had a runner on third off of a triple, no outs, and we failed to get the run in,” said manager Dan Jennings. “I thought Phelps pitched another outstanding game, gave us an opportunity. I think we’ve scored three runs in his last four starts, and that’s been tough for him.”

San Diego got the run back in their half of the seventh when Clint Barmes led off with a single off Sam Dyson, advanced to second on a wild pitch, third on a sacrifice bunt, and coming home to score on another Venable RBI single — a bloop hit over the head of drawn-in infielder Martin Prado.

“Just tired of losing,” Phelps said. “Just not not pitching well enough to win right now, and it’s driving me nuts.”

This story was originally published July 26, 2015 at 12:24 AM with the headline "Surprise visit from Giancarlo Stanton doesn’t provide lift for Miami Marlins in 3-1 loss to San Diego Padres."