Bryce Harper’s 8th inning two-run opposite-field blast helped the Phillies clinch a 12-6 victory and salvage their series finale in Miami. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)
The Philadelphia Phillies (44-40) used a huge seven-run outburst in the top of the 6th inning to open up a 10-1 lead, then kept the pressure on with a 17-hit attack to earn a 13-6 win over the host Miami Marlins (32-50) on Sunday afternoon at Marlins Park.
With the victory, the Phillies were able to salvage the series finale and snap a five-game losing streak to the last-place Fish. The Phillies end June with an 11-16 record during a rough month which began with the team at nine games over the .500 mark and holding a three-game lead in the NL East Division.
After building an early 3-1 lead highlighted by an RBI single from Bryce Harper in the 1st inning and a solo Brad Miller home run in the top of the 4th, it was the long and crazy 6th inning that took this game to another level.
In their half, the Phillies scored seven times to open up a 10-1 lead. Don Mattingly went to his bullpen, bringing in veteran Wei-Yin Chen, and the lefty was greeted by five consecutive singles. That began a nickle-and-dime attack of seven singles and a sacrifice fly resulting in the crooked inning. Included as a wild pitch that allowed Jean Segura to score. The Phillies shortstop would leave the game at that point, hopefully just shaken up.
Jean Segura scored on this wild pitch as part of massive Phillies seven-run outburst in the top of the 6th inning. pic.twitter.com/jfAd57g99e
— Phillies Nation (@PhilliesNation) June 30, 2019
As has been the case throughout this series, the Marlins weren’t just going to swim away. They scored three times in the 6th and final inning for Phillies starter Jake Arrieta, then twice more off reliever J.D. Hammer in the bottom of the 7th inning. Suddenly, a comfortable 10-1 lead was down to 10-6, and Phillies fans everywhere were thinking the same thing: here we go again.
To the rescue stepped the $330-million dollar man. With a man on and one out in the top of the 8th, Harper sliced an opposite-field home run to ease their minds and open the Phillies lead up to the 12-6 mark.
Bryce Harper slices one out the opposite way for a huge homer to push the Phillies lead back out to 12-6 in the top of the 8th inning. pic.twitter.com/wPaiX3EaCk
— ⚾️Matt Veasey?? (@MatthewVeasey) June 30, 2019
Tommy Hunter came on in relief in the bottom of the 8th and provided some hope for a beleaguered Phillies bullpen. The veteran right-hander, making just his second appearance of the season since coming off the Injured List, struck out the side to keep it a 12-6 Phillies lead into the 9th inning.
In the top of the 9th, Cesar Hernandez led off with a single and Miller walked. Maikel Franco then lined an RBI base hit to center field, scoring Hernandez to make it a 13-6 ball game. Gabe Kapler brought in young Edgar Garcia to try and close it out in the bottom, and the 22-year-old righty set the Marlins down in order to end it.
The Phillies will now enjoy an off-day on Monday before resuming this road trip and month-long intra-divisional schedule with a big series in Atlanta against the first-place Braves on Tuesday night. After that, the club heads to Citi Field for a three-game set next weekend with the New York Mets.
SHIBE VINTAGE SPORTS STARTING PITCHING PERFORMANCE
PHILLIES – Jake Arrieta: 6 IP, 8 hits (1 HR), 4 ER, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts. 93 pitches, 69 for strikes.
MARLINS – Trevor Richards: 5 IP, 6 hits (1 HR), 3 ER, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts. 84 pitches, 56 for strikes.
PHILLIES NUGGETS PLAYER OF THE GAME: BRYCE HARPER
The right fielder started the scoring for the Phillies with an RBI single in the top of the 1st inning. Then, with the game getting dicey late, his two-run homer gave the bullpen the breathing room it needed to finally nail this one down.
Harper also singled and walked during this one. And his heads-up base running play in the bottom of the 3rd, while it resulted in his being registered as “caught stealing” in the box score, allowed Kingery to score the Phillies second run.
TICKET IQ NEXT GAME
- Tuesday July 2 at 7:20 pm EDT vs. the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park
- TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia; MLB Network (out-of-market only)
- Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP; WTTM 1680 (Spanish)
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