Depleted Miami Marlins unravel in 11th inning, lose to Padres 8-3

After setting what was very possibly a franchise record for number of farewell hugs in a single week, what was left of the Marlins decided it was too early to kiss the season goodbye, as well.

Well, at least for 10 innings Friday.

Derek Dietrich belted a game-tying home run off San Diego Padres closer Craig Kimbrel with two outs in the ninth before the Padres bounced back to win 8-3 with five runs in the 11th.

“That was a huge moment,” said manager Dan Jennings. “The momentum was swinging our way.”

But it didn’t last.

Former University of Miami standout Yonder Alonso drew a bases-loaded walk from Marlins closer A.J. Ramos in the 11th, and the Padres scored four more runs to spoil the Marlins’ comeback bid.

Ramos gave up a leadoff single to Will Venable in the 11th. One out later, he walked three straight Padres hitters, including Alonso on four pitches. The Padres scored another run on a fourth consecutive walk, that one issued by Andre Rienzo, and three more to put it out of reach.

The Marlins have lost three straight and six of their past seven.

With six members of the Opening Day roster now gone due to a flurry of trades that consumed most of the previous eight days, it was left to the remnants to finish out a season that has been a major disappointment.

The leftovers didn’t fare any better than the original bunch.

“When that many guys get moved, it’s tough,” Jennings said of the mood in the clubhouse. “It definitely affects their mindset.”

Christian Yelich opened the scoring with a two-run homer to center off Padres starter Ian Kennedy in the first. But the Padres answered with a run in the third off David Phelps and took the lead in the fourth with two more runs.

The Marlins remained punchless at the plate, totaling only four hits off Kennedy, who went seven innings and defeated Miami for the second time in a week.

Though he labored through five innings, Phelps was again a victim of poor run support. While Phelps went 0-3 with a 3.57 ERA in his four starts in July, the Marlins scored a total of four runs in those games.

But at least they didn’t hang another loss on him.

Dietrich took Phelps off the hook with two outs in the ninth when he belted a 1-1 pitch from Kimbrel into the seats in right to tie the score.

But the comeback bid was spoiled two innings later when Ramos gave up the go-ahead run and the Padres tacked on four more.

DOUBLE WHAMMY

Jeff Baker had an eventful day.

After discovering the injury that landed him on the disabled list was a broken rib, and not the oblique issue that was diagnosed originally, the Marlins informed him of his release.

“It looks like they’re trying to rebuild,” Baker said of the roster changes. “You see a lot of veteran guys getting moved, and they’re trying to re-tool and get a lot of A-ball prospects in here and see what those guys can do moving forward.”

Baker thrived against left-handed pitching last season, hitting .319 against southpaws. But he struggled in that role this year, hitting just .208 against lefties.

“He was at a point where we didn’t know if we would even see him before the season ended,” said Michael Hill, president of baseball operations, in explaining the decision to release Baker. “He was going to be a free agent, and we didn’t think he was going to be able to give us any playing time.”

DOWN TO THE WIRE

Sam Dyson probably figured he was safe when the clubhouse clock wound down to 4 p.m. Friday, the deadline for non-waiver trades. But as players filed out to the field to stretch, the reliever was pulled aside and told he had been traded to the Texas Rangers.

Dyson was the last of five Marlins players to be traded in the quick span of eight days, and his deal came right down to the wire.

COMING UP

▪ Saturday: Marlins RHP Jose Urena (1-4, 4.04) vs. San Diego Padres RHP Odrisamer Despaigne (4-7, 4.76), 7:10 p.m., Marlins Park.

▪ Sunday: Marlins RHP Jose Fernandez (4-0, 2.53) vs. San Diego Padres RHP James Shields (8-4, 3.77), 1:10 p.m., Marlins Park.

This story was originally published July 31, 2015 at 11:06 PM with the headline "Depleted Miami Marlins unravel in 11th inning, lose to Padres 8-3."