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Right-hander Zach Eflin made easy work of the Marlins lineup and a few well-placed balls in play gave the Phillies all the cushion they needed on Sunday afternoon. Miami lost, 4-1, dropped three of the four games in the series despite easily out-hitting Philly, and they now own MLB’s worst record this season at 8-20 overall.
- Pablo López: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (94 pitches)
- Zach Eflin: 9.0 IP, 7 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K (107 pitches)
Rhys Hoskins got the scoring started against López in the bottom of the first. His RBI double to left field just eluded the leaping Isaac Galloway.
The heart of the Phillies order stretched the lead to 3-0 in the third. Jean Segura somehow snuck a triple past Martín Prado, even though Prado was perfectly positioned near the first-base bag. Segura came around to score on a ground out.
The difference in the Marlins-Phillies game thru 5 innings is this grounder that got past Martín Prado. A major league first baseman needs to get in front of that. pic.twitter.com/sqpiBnKp7X
— Fish Stripes (@fishstripes) April 28, 2019
It was an uncharacteristic outing for López, who had issued only four unintentional walks in all of his previous starts combined. But in this game, he walked three, plunked a batter and allowed the fourth run to cross on an unblockable wild pitch.
Meanwhile, Eflin feasted on a depleted lineup that was missing three of the Marlins’ top hitters (Jorge Alfaro, Curtis Granderson and Neil Walker). He confidently attacked the zone—threw 77 of 107 pitches for strikes (72.0%)—and surrendered no extra-base hits.
The most eye-popping split of this Marlins season? They have scored 39 runs in five Saturday games, but only 39 in their other 23 combined.
.@Marlins manager Don Mattingly recaps the 4-game series against the Phillies and breaks down the high and lows of their offense. #JuntosMiami #MLB pic.twitter.com/KWeg0Rupj0
— FOX Sports Florida (@FOXSportsFL) April 28, 2019
In related news, Garrett Cooper has continued to impress on a minor league rehab assignment with High-A Jupiter. Through three games, the outfielder/first baseman is 6-for-9 with a walk and zero strikeouts. The Marlins are expected to make room for him on their active roster in the coming days.
Following an off day Monday, the team hosts the Indians for a two-game set in Miami beginning Tuesday night at 7:10 p.m.
Marlins vs. Phillies box score (MLB.com)
Fish Picks answer key
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