What started as a pitchers’ duel and later opened up to look like a comfortable win became a nailbiter as the Philadelphia Phillies (13-19) defeated the Miami Marlins (15-17) by a score of 6-5 to secure their fourth straight victory.
In his second start of the season, Zack Wheeler notched his first win, striking out eight and allowing just one run in six innings of work. After throwing 84 pitches in his first outing, he ramped it to 94 and appears to be unrestricted going forward.
The Marlins’ lone
run against Wheeler came in the bottom of the first on the strength of back to back doubles by Otto Lopez and Xavier Edwards.
The offense strung together four hits and a walk against Eury Perez in the top of the fourth inning to take the lead on singles by Brandon Marsh and Alec Bohm, a walk by Bryson Stott and a double by Justin Crawford.
They would pad the lead in the top of the seventh off Marlins’ lefty reliever, Cade Gibson, scoring four in the frame to take a 6-1 lead. Bryce Harper doubled, Marsh was hit on the elbow, Edmundo Sosa singled home Harper and Stott cleared the bases with a three-run home run, his first of the year.
Orion Kerkering threw a scoreless bottom of the seventh before the bullpen began to unravel in the eighth and ninth innings.
The Fish got three runs back against Jonathan Bowlan and Jose Alvarado in the eighth before Alvarado got a crucial punchout of Christopher Morel to end the inning, stranding runners on second and third.
Brad Keller came on to close and was wild out of the gate, 10 of his first 17 pitches landing outside the strike zone. Somehow he managed just a leadoff walk to Javier Sanoja and two strikeouts with that effort, but Sanoja stole second and scored on Lopez’s third hit and second RBI single of the game to cut the lead to one. With a full count and the winning run at the plate, Keller got Edwards to fly out to center where Crawford secured the easy catch to end it.
After his historic day at the plate yesterday, Kyle Schwarber wore the platinum sombrero with five strikeouts.
The Phils will try to set a season-long winning streak tomorrow as they kick off the Philly Sportspocalypse at 4:10pm tomorrow as Andrew Painter faces off against Max Meyer.
