Chase Utley's Walkoff Homer In 14th Innning Dooms Marlins
PHILADELPHIA (AP) The bullpen gave the Phillies' offense plenty of chances, and Chase Utley finally came through.
Utley hit a two-run home run in the 14th inning, lifting Philadelphia to a 5-3 victory over the Miami Marlins on Thursday night.
"I tried to square one up, go home," Utley said.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna homered for Miami. The Marlins managed just two hits from the ninth inning on, however.
After the Phillies squandered chances to score in the 10th, 11th and 12th innings, Jimmy Rollins led off the 14th with an infield single. Utley followed by driving an 0-2 pitch from Chris Hatcher (0-1) deep into the seats in right field.
Utley was mobbed at home plate by his smiling teammates and met with a pie in the face while giving a TV interview afterward. The game lasted 4 hours, 41 minutes and the teams combined to use 13 pitchers.
Justin De Fratus (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings as part of an impressive display by the Philadelphia bullpen. De Fratus, Mario Hollands, Ken Giles, Antonio Bastardo, Jonathan Papelbon and Jake Diekman combined to pitch seven scoreless innings of three-hit relief after Phillies starter Cole Hamels left.
"The bullpen was great (and) really kept the game in check and gave us a chance for Chase's big swing at the end," Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said. "I just think they're on a roll as a group. They found their niche and they're comfortable with that. I think they're just feeding off each other. (There's) competition within themselves down there."
Hamels also praised the relief corps.
"It's a very positive position that we have in knowing that when you give the ball over to the bullpen they're going to shut it down and either solidify a win or keep you in the game so you can win," he said.
Hamels gave up three runs on the solo homers and left after allowing seven hits, striking out seven and walking none in seven innings. It was the 10th straight start Hamels pitched seven innings or more; he is 2-2 in those outings due to a lack of run support. The left-hander entered with an MLB-best 1.66 ERA over his last nine outings, but the Phillies have scored three runs or less in 10 of his 13 starts this season.
Overall, Hamels is 2-4.
Saltalamacchia's homer to left field leading off the third staked Miami to a 1-0 lead. Stanton went deep to start the fourth before Philadelphia got a run back in the bottom of the inning on Carlos Ruiz's sacrifice fly. The Phillies tied it in the fifth on Utley's RBI single.
But the leadoff homer hurt Hamels again in the seventh when Ozuna started the inning by clearing the fence in left to make it 3-2.
"It's a situation where when you get behind in the count, especially to all three of those hitters, they're very good and definitely have power," Hamels said. "When you make mistakes, they're going to hit it a long way. I really don't want to walk guys. I really want them to earn their way on, and obviously they earned their way around the bases."
The Phillies got a gift run in the seventh off reliever Bryan Morris when first baseman Jeff Baker booted Rollins' grounder that should have ended the inning. Baker's error allowed Domonic Brown to score from third.
Brown singled pinch-hitting for Hamels to start the inning. He wasn't in the starting lineup for a defensive gaffe, his second in three nights, in Wednesday's 3-2 Marlins win when he misplayed Ozuna's fly ball in left field.
"It was a routine play, I just messed it up," Baker said. "I knocked it down and I should've just picked it right up and throw to first. "
Marlins right-hander Tom Koehler was in line for the victory before Baker's miscue after giving up two runs on seven hits in six innings with six strikeouts and no walks.
"We had a lot of great efforts pitching-wise and guys were battling to the end," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "It was just that we couldn't get that big hit and they got it."
NOTES: The teams split the four-game set, and the Marlins remained winless in four-game series in Philadelphia. The Phillies have won eight of the series and the teams have split five. ... Miami's Casey McGehee extended his road hitting streak to 17 games with a fourth-inning single. ... The Phillies open a four-game series against Atlanta on Friday night when RHP Kyle Kendrick (3-7, 4.20) opposes Braves RHP Julio Teheran (6-5, 2.41).
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