Phillies Bats Come Alive in Series Finale Rout of Marlins

By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor

Behind their seven-run sixth inning en route to a 13-6 victory, the Philadelphia Phillies (44-40) salvaged the series finale and avoided being swept opposite the Miami Marlins (32-50) Sunday afternoon at Marlins Park. With the win, the Phillies snapped their two-game skid and finished the month of June with an 11-16 record.

The Phillies offense broke out in the win with 17 hits, three of which were produced by Bryce Harper. Harper nearly missed a grand slam, yet he still produced a home run later in the game and tallied four total RBI. Phillies starter Jake Arrieta earned the winning decision and improved to 8-6 on the season. In six innings, he allowed four runs on eight ones, one walk and one strikeout spanning 93 pitches and 69 strikes.

Entering the game, the Phillies had lost five straight games to the Marlins, outscored 28-16 and outhit 52-32. In the first two games of the series, Friday and Saturday, the Phillies fell 6-2 and 9-6.

The Phillies grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the first inning and would never look back. The second batter of the game — shortstop Jean Segura — doubled to left. Harper then came through with a RBI single to center. Two innings later with one out, center fielder Scott Kingery reached third following a steal and Harper reached first following a walk. Rhys Hoskins then struck out and Harper was thrown out attempting to steal, but Kingery scored on the play prior to the final out being recorded, giving the Phillies a 2-0 lead.

The Marlins scored their first run the next half-inning, but the Phillies' Brad Miller answered in the fourth with an upper-deck solo home run, his second, putting the club on top, 3-1.

Then came the sixth, when the Phillies scored seven runs on as many hits. The Phillies started the frame with five consecutive singles, including a Miller RBI single to center, and an Arrieta two-RBI single to left. Three batters faced, Harper brought home two more runs with a RBI single to deep left. The Phillies extended their lead to 10-1 with Segura scoring on a wild pitch and Hoskins hitting a sacrifice fly to center. 

In the latter-half of the sixth, veteran outfielder Curtis Granderson laced a RBI double to right off Arrieta, and former Phillies catcher Jorge Alfaro took the right-hander deep two batters later (428 feet, 114 miles per hour off the bat), bringing the Marlins within six runs.

The Marlins shrunk their deficit to four in the seventh, but Harper brought it right back to six in the top of the eighth, slugging a two-run home run to left field, his 15th. Maikel Franco joined the fun in the top of the ninth, producing a RBI single to give the Phillies a 13-6 lead.

Game Notes:

• Game time: 3 hours, 36 minutes
• Jean Segura: 3-4, 2 R, 2B; Bryce Harper: 3-4, 2 R, HR, 4 RBI, BB, SO; Scott Kingery: 1-5, R, 2B, BB, SO; J.T. Realmuto: 2-3, R; Cesar Hernandez: 3-5, 2 R; Brad Miller: 2-4, 2 R, HR, 2 RBI, BB, SO; Jake Arrieta; 1-3, R, 2 RBI
• Phillies in Miami, since July 13 2018: 4-0 when Arrieta starts, 2-9 when Arrieta does not start (via @BoopStats).
• The Phillies went 7-for-16 with runners in scoring position (Franco 2-2, Harper 2-3, Arrieta 1-1, Miller 1-1, Segura 1-2).
• Phillies right-handed reliever Tommy Hunter made his second relief appearance of the season in the eighth, he recorded all three outs in the scoreless inning via a strikeout.
• J.D. Hammer allowed two runs on a hit and walk in the seventh, but Edgar Garcia recorded a 1-2-3 ninth with two strikeouts to seal the Phillies win.
• Harper's four RBI tied his season high, matched two times previously against the St. Louis Cardinals (away on May 7, home on May 29).
• Marlins starter Trevor Richards fell to 3-9, despite him allowing three runs through five innings on six hits, two walks and three strikeouts. 

What's Next:

• Tuesday, July 2, 2019: at Atlanta Braves, 7:20 p.m.
  • SunTrust Park, Atlanta, Ga.
  • Probable pitchers: TBD
  • TV: NBCSP; Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP