Phillies bullpen blows another lead in first of seven-game series
A former Philadelphia Phillie delivered a loss to his old team, as its bullpen blew another lead in the first of a seven-game series against the Miami Marlins.
Jorge Alfaro, who was included in the Phillies’ trade for J.T. Realmuto last year, hit a single into center field for a 7-6 walk-off victory at Marlins Park on Thursday night.
The bullpen entered the game with two outs in the sixth inning with a three-run lead. The problems started in the eighth inning, when the Marlins tied the game, before ultimately winning it in the ninth.
The Phillies record goes to 21-19 after this loss. They play the Marlins six more times in the next four days.
Top Plays
- Rhys Hoskins had an adventure around the bases in the top of the first inning. The two-hole hitter hit a dribbler down the third-base line for an infield single, moved to second base on a balk by Marlins pitcher Sandy Alcántara, got to third on a passed ball and scored on a groundout by Realmuto.
- Phillies starter Jake Arrieta walked former Phillie Corey Dickerson to lead off the bottom of the first inning, and allowed an RBI double to Starling Marte to bring the score to 1-1. Arrieta then walked another batter, but worked out of the jam to keep the game tied.
- More sloppy play from Miami allowed the Phillies to score two runs in the second. First, Andrew Knapp reached on an error by first baseman Jesús Aguilar. Alec Bohm then singled to center field, but the ball rolled under the glove of and past Marte. Knapp scored on the error and Bohm made it to third base, before scoring on an RBI single by Adam Haseley. This extended the Phillies’ lead to 3-1.
- The Marlins cut their deficit to 3-2 on a sacrifice fly to center field by Matt Joyce in the third inning.
- A double from Didi Gregorius and an infield single from Jean Segura put runners on first and third in the fourth for the Phillies. Bohm drove Gregorius home with a single, and Segura scored on a squeeze bunt from Haseley, making the score 5-2.
- Arrieta surrendered another run in the bottom of the fourth. Former Phillie Alfaro brought the score to 5-3 with an RBI groundout.
- Realmuto extended the lead with a solo home run off his former team in the top of the fifth.
- After walking a batter, Arrieta was removed with two outs in the sixth in favor of JoJo Romero. The left-handed reliever allowed a single to Alfaro, but got out of the inning with a strikeout.
- The Phillies had another opportunity to score in the eighth, but a failed squeeze attempt from Knapp and a pop up from Haseley could not get a run home.
- After Tommy Hunter struggled in the bottom of the eighth, Brandon Workman entered to pitch for the Phillies with the bases loaded and two outs. Workman allowed a bases-clearing double to Marte on his second pitch, which tied the game 6-6.
- In the bottom of the ninth, Brian Anderson singled off Workman, and Monte Harrison entered as a pinch runner. He advanced to second on a groundout, and stole third base with one out. Workman intentionally walked Miguel Rojas, but Alfaro hit a walk-off single past the shortstop into center to win the game for Miami 7-6.
Shibe Vintage Sports Starting Pitching Performance
Jake Arrieta: 5 2/3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 0 HR, 106 pitches
When Arrieta allowed a walk, a double and another walk to start the game, it appeared that he might have been in for a short outing in Miami. But the right-hander limited the damage that inning to just one run, and put together a very solid start. With the Phillies playing another six games over the next four days, a brief outing from the starter in the first game of the series could have seriously taxed the bullpen. Arrieta didn’t make that too much of a problem, as he worked out of jams to pitch effectively into the sixth inning.
Sandy Alcántara: 6 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 100 pitches
The Marlins defense did not do its starting pitcher many favors in this game. Alcántara allowed six runs, but three of them were unearned runs that came from a passed ball and errors by Miami fielders. The 24-year-old did allow seven hits in six innings, including a home run to Realmuto, but his outing could have looked a lot different with better defensive play early in the game.
Phillies Nuggets Player of the Game: Jorge Alfaro
Alfaro was the beneficiary of the Phillies’ bullpen woes on Thursday. He capped of the comeback for the Marlins, getting the game-winning hit off Workman.
Ticket IQ Next Game
- Friday, Sept. 11 vs. Miami Marlins, Marlins Park. Doubleheader starting at 5:10 p.m.
- NBC Sports Philadelphia, MLB Network
- SportsRadio 94WIP
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