MIA 3, PHI 4; Marlins Lose Another One-Run Game

The Miami Marlins yet again found themselves on the wrong side of a one-run game. Their offense was largely inept until the 8th inning. When they did start to put some runs together, it was simply too little, too late in their 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Phillies starting pitcher Vince Velasquez dominated the Marlins offense, pitching seven shutout innings. In 18 career starts against Miami, Velazquez has a 4.54 ERA. But in two starts against them in 2021, he has allowed zero runs in 13 innings.

The Marlins looked to have something cooking in the eighth inning when they finally reached the Phillies mediocre bullpen, which came into Tuesday with a 4.55 ERA. Phillies relief pitcher Connor Brogdon walked Jon Berti and Garrett Cooper. Phillies closer José Alvarado was brought in for the four-out save, and threw a wild pitch to Starling Marte that allowed Berti to score the Marlins’ first run of the game. But with runners on second and third, Marte hit a ground ball to get out of the inning with the Marlins having to settle for just the one run.

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Alvarado was even shakier in the ninth. Jesús Aguilar, who moved to third base in the eighth inning and ended the inning with a stellar barehanded grab and throw across the diamond, reached on a leadoff single. Adam Duvall followed that up with a home run to straightaway center field. Down by just one run and no outs, the Marlins followed up the homer with three consecutive outs.

Marlins starting pitcher Trevor Rogers once again did everything he could to keep Miami in the game. With the exception of a bumpy first inning that saw him hit a batter, allow a walk, a hit, and a run, he was doing solid until his final batter faced. In the sixth inning, he threw two changeups to Rhys Hoskins, and then a third changeup that Hoskins got a hold of for a solo home run to right-center field.

What wound up being the difference in Tuesday’s game was perhaps the coming-down-to-earth of Anthony Bender. After starting his career with 22 scoreless innings, he gave up two runs in the seventh inning that proved to be costly insurance runs. The average spin rate of Bender’s pitches was a career-low 2,133 RPM.

The Marlins dropped to a 6-17 record this season in games decided by one run.

These NL East foes play again at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday. Jordan Holloway, who was just recalled from Triple-A, will make the start against Aaron Nola.

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