Marsh excellent, Phillies drop third straight series finale against Marlins
Final Score: Marlins 5, Phillies 3
For a third consecutive series against Miami, the Phillies took the first two games, but couldn’t cap off a series sweep. They’ll take 2 out of 3, but a sweep heading into a crucial nine-game stretch against the Braves, Blue Jays and Braves again would have been nice.
They wasted Brandon Marsh’s finest game in a Phillies uniform so far. He went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle.
When the Phillies acquired him in a trade for Logan O’Hoppe at the deadline, they expected good defense in center, but knew the bat was a work in progress. With the help of the coaching staff, Marsh has made some subtle adjustments to his swing that have paid off. He’s batting .300 since the trade and looks comfortable manning a position that has been a problem area for the Phillies for years.
Jordan Groshans’ first home run as a big leaguer put the Marlins on the board first in the bottom of the third. It hooked just inside the left field foul pole and his brother celebrated by running around the stands.
With two on, two out and Noah Syndergaard one strike away from ending the inning, the Phillies pitcher hung a changeup against Bryan De La Cruz. The ball traveled 434 ft and over the wall in left center to give Miami a comfortable 4-0 lead.
It’s fair to wonder if this will be Syndergaard’s last start for the Phillies. It’s very likely Zack Wheeler returns on Tuesday and it would be tough to argue for keeping Syndergaard in the rotation and moving Bailey Falter to the bullpen. Syndergaard has surrendered 15 earned runs combined in his last four starts against the Pirates, Giants, Nationals and Marlins. His next two turns are against Toronto and Chicago. He also hasn’t pitched well enough to justify a postseason roster spot if the Phillies make the playoffs.
The Phillies squandered a golden opportunity to get at least one run home when Marsh began the third inning with a leadoff triple. The Phillies’ 8, 9 and 1 of Matt Vierling, Edmundo Sosa and Kyle Schwarber popped up, struck out and popped up to end the inning. The tying run reached base in the eighth, but a Jean Segura double play killed the rally. A run scored in the ninth and Vierling had a chance to tie the game with a home run, but a ground ball to shortstop ended the game.
The Phillies will have to wait at least one more day to clinch a .500 season. With Milwaukee idle, the Phillies’ lead over the Brewers fell to four games with the magic number to clinch a playoff spot still at 15.
They’ll head to Cobb County, Georgia for a series with the Braves. Ranger Suarez will start on the mound for the Phillies. Max Fried will pitch for the Braves.
Shibe Vintage Sports Notes
- Schwarber’s 30th home run of the season in the No. 1 spot ties Jimmy Rollins for the most home runs by a Phillies leadoff hitter in a season.
- Edmundo Sosa left the game in the bottom of the sixth with right hamstring tightness, according to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
- The Phillies finished with a 12-7 record against the Marlins this season.
Ticket IQ Next Game
- Friday, September 16 vs. Atlanta Braves at Truist Park
- 7:20 p.m. ET
- TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
- Radio: Sportsradio 94 WIP
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