Marlins To Battle Phillies Looking For Second Straight Win
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PHILADELPHIA (CBSMiami/AP) – The season is still young but the Miami Marlins needed a win on Wednesday about as badly as a team could in April.
Now that they've gotten back in the win column, the focus shifts to staying there.
The Marlins are desperate for any sort of momentum to wrap up their 10-game road trip, and the Phillies will try not to give them any more as the teams conclude their series Thursday.
The Marlins took two of three from Atlanta to start their road swing before dropping the next five. They finally righted themselves Wednesday - with plenty of help from the Phillies - in a 6-1 victory as they took advantage of three errors and a balk that contributed to five unearned runs.
"We haven't gotten a lot of breaks," manager Mike Redmond said. "We got a few tonight and took advantage."
Adeiny Hechevarria had two singles and scored two runs for Miami, while Martin Prado had two hits and the only RBI. The Marlins (4-11) now have a chance to win consecutive games for the second time and can earn their second series victory of the young season.
"Right now, we'll take anything," winning pitcher Jarred Cosart said. "We're trying to scratch out wins any way we can. It worked out for us today."
David Phelps (0-0, 7.94) will take his second turn in the rotation. The right-hander limited the New York Mets to one run and one hit while walking three in 4 2-3 innings Friday.
A part-time starter in each of his previous three seasons, Phelps is facing the Phillies for the first time.
Left fielder Christian Yelich, a lifetime .299 hitter against Philadelphia, has missed the first two games of this series due to a stiff back - a similar injury to the one that landed him on the disabled list last year - and his availability is uncertain.
"I think it's still kind of the same and he's day to day," Redmond told MLB's official website before Wednesday's game. "We'll evaluate him accordingly (Thursday)."
Philadelphia (5-10) has committed two or more errors in five games, and its 15 are among the most in the majors. Chase Utley's fielding miscue Wednesday keyed Miami's four-run eighth that broke open the game and put more pressure on a team that's scuffling offensively. The Phillies are 1-9 when scoring three or fewer runs.
"When you're not putting some runs on the board, every little thing adds up and becomes a big thing," manager Ryne Sandberg said.
Dustin McGowan (1-0, 2.57) will make his first start of the season, but he isn't expected to last long. The Phillies put scheduled starter Sean O'Sullivan on the disabled list Wednesday with a knee injury, and McGowan hasn't thrown more than 42 pitches or logged more than two innings in any of his five relief appearances. The right-hander has also walked seven in his seven innings.
McGowan, who has never faced the Marlins, allowed one run and two hits in one inning at Washington on Sunday.
Ichiro Suzuki, 18 for 48 lifetime against the Phillies, picked up his 2,845th hit Wednesday, leaving him three shy of tying Brooks Robinson for 46th on MLB's all-time list. The 41-year-old outfielder has a 10-game hitting streak versus Philadelphia.
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