MIAMI — The Phillies finished a terrible trip to South Florida with a bad loss Sunday.
Ace Aaron Nola let a two-run lead get away in bottom of the sixth inning and the Phillies lost, 3-2, to the lowly Miami Marlins.
The Phillies ended up losing two of three in the series to Miami, the worst team in the National League.
The Phils blew a 7-0 lead in losing, 19-11, on Friday night. The loss dropped the Phillies to an inexcusable 7-9 against the Marlins this season. By contrast, the rest of the NL East has cleaned up on the Marlins this season. The records vs. Miami:
Atlanta is 15-4
The Mets are 11-4
MLB
Washington is 10-3
The Phillies entered the day 1 ½ game back in the NL wild-card chase. There are 33 games remaining.
The Phils went 3-2 on the five-game trip. They swept two games in Boston before the Miami debacle.
What happened to Nola?
He was absolutely cruising. He had retired 11 in a row and was leading 2-0 when Bryan Holaday doubled on a first-pitch fastball with one out in the bottom of the sixth. Jon Berti then stroked an RBI single and Starlin Castro a two-run double on a first-pitch curveball that was down and out of the zone. Castro’s hit gave the Marlins a 3-2 lead and the Phillies, who had just four hits, did not generate enough offense to rescue Nola.
Down by a run in the top of the ninth, the Phils got the lead man aboard but Ryan Stanek retired Rhys Hoskins, J.T. Realmuto and Corey Dickerson to end the game.
The drought ends
Hoskins, who entered the game hitting .168 with four homers and 12 RBIs since the All-Star break, broke a drought of 85 plate appearances without a homer when he smacked a two-run shot to give the Phils a 2-0 lead with two outs in the top of the sixth. The homer was Hoskins’ 25th of the season and first since August 3.
No hustle zone
With two outs in the top of the sixth inning in a scoreless game, Cesar Hernandez stroked ball off the right-field wall. It should have been a double, but Hernandez did not run hard out of the box because he assumed a home run. Hernandez had no chance of making second after it hit the wall.
The next batter, Hoskins, got Hernandez off the hook when he clubbed a two-run homer to left center to give the Phillies a 2-0 lead.
TV cameras caught Hernandez thanking Hoskins as the two met at home plate after the homer. In the dugout, Charlie Manuel and Jay Bruce both briefly said something to Hernandez, who stayed in the game. On his way out to second base for the bottom of the inning, Hernandez paused and said something to Hoskins. Hoskins put his arm around Hernandez, said something and patted him on the butt.
Minutes later, the Phillies’ lead was gone.
Weak unit
The Phillies don’t have much offense on their bench and it showed in the top of the eighth when manager Gabe Kapler used Sean Rodriguez and Andrew Knapp as pinch-hitters. Rodriguez took a called third strike and Knapp flied out to center.
Up next
The Phillies return home Monday night to start a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pittsburgh entered Sunday having lost 30 of 40 games since the All-Star break.
Bryce Harper, who missed all three games in Miami while on paternity leave, is expected back in the lineup Monday night.
Pitching matchups:
Monday night — LHP Jason Vargas (6-6, 3.99) vs. RHP Joe Musgrove (8-12, 4.74)
Tuesday night — LHP Drew Smyly (2-6, 6.99) vs. LHP Steven Brault (3-3, 3.98)
Wednesday night — RHP Vince Velasquez (5-7, 4.93) vs. RHP Mitch Keller (1-2, 7.24)
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