After taking the first two games in Miami, the Phillies ran into some trouble on Mother’s Day.
On Friday night, Ranger Suarez got things rolling for the club. With another strong start, Suarez went 7 innings, allowing just three hits and no runs. He struck out 9 batters in this outing and lowered his season ERA to 1.50. JT Realmuto and Johan Rojas each had three hits and the team cruised to an 8-2 victory.
Saturday afternoon was a similar outcome for the Phils. Taijaun Walker got the start for the Phillies, just his third of the 2024 season. Walker went 6 innings, allowing 8 hits, 1 earned run, and struck out 4 batters. The Phillies offense continued to swing the bat well and Bryson Stott had 4 RBIs on the evening. The Phils won 8-3 to take the series against the Marlins.
After back-to-back wins in Miami, the club was looking for a series sweep on Mother’s Day. They battled back and forth all afternoon but weren’t able to get the brooms out of the closet in this one.
Mother’s Day Battle
The Phillies got things started hot in Sunday’s action against the Fish.
A red-hot Nick Castellanos got the ball rolling with a three-run home run in the top of the first inning. Heading into Sunday’s game, Castellanos had been hitting .346 over his last seven games. Including his homer last night, Nick now has a hit in eight straight games.
Giving Zack Wheeler a 3-0 start before he takes the mound normally means you win most games. Unfortunately for the Phillies and Wheeler, he admittedly did not have his best stuff. The Marlins were able to get strong contact off the Phillies’ ace, meaning the team was in for a battle.
Back and Forth
The Marlins would get on the board in the bottom of the second inning. Jesus Sanchez doubled home Josh Bell to bring the Phillies’ lead to 2 runs.
In the bottom of the third, notorious Phillie killer Josh Bell made his presence felt in this game. He would crush a three-run blast to give the Marlins a 4-3 through 3 innings. Wheeler would take the ball in the fourth inning, which ended up being his last. Zack allowed two more runs to cross in the frame, including a triple from Miami’s centerfielder Jazz Chisholm to make it 6-3 Marlins.
Typical Phillies fashion would prove that this game was not out of reach quite yet. Earning the Fightin’s moniker, the Phils came back swinging in the top of the sixth inning.
Bryce Harper and Bryson Stott would get for Edmundo Sosa, whose bases-clearing triple gave the Phillies two more runs. Sosa would then score on a sac fly from Brandon Marsh, tying the game up at 6-6.
Phillies Fall Short
After Zack Wheeler was taken out of the game at the conclusion of the fourth inning, the bullpen would be tasked with finishing the rest of the game.
The ‘pen would combine for 5 innings of dominance, keeping the Marlins stuck at 6 runs for the remainder of regulation. Orion Kerkering, Spencer Turnbull, Jose Alvarado, Matt Strahm, and Jeff Hoffman would combine for 5 IP, 1 hit, and 7 strikeouts.
In the top of the 10th inning, the Phillies had a chance to bust open this game. Whit Merrifield would be the ghost runner at second base to start the inning. An uncharacteristic strikeout with a runner in scoring position from Alec Bohm would give the Marlins their first out. They then intentionally walked Bryce Harper, getting to face Nick Castellanos. Castellanos would fly out to centerfield, moving Whit to third base. Bryce would steal second base and Bryson Stott would then walk. Kody Clemens pinch hit for Edmundo Sosa and popped out to end the frame without a run.
In the bottom of the 10th inning, the Phillies tasked Gregory Soto to keep Miami from crossing the plate. The team chose to intentionally walk Josh Bell. This move would set up the double play and keep Bell from ending the game. Emmanuel Rivera would pinch hit and line a ball right back off of Soto. The ball would be deflected into right field, where the Marlins could easily step on the plate to end the game.
The Phillies fought back but were unable to close the door. They won the series and left Florida with a 28-13 record on the season. They remain in first place in the National League East and head to New York for the first time as they face the Mets in a two-game series.
Photo Credit: (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
