Twenty-four hours after the Phillies caught 15 saves and struck out 20 hits, with nine of those runs and 10 of those hits coming against Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcántara, fans threw hot dogs in the field.
This is a city that will hold players accountable, and the Phillies failed to capitalize on the momentum they built on Monday with an 8-4 loss on Tuesday. So, on “Dollar Night,” foil-wrapped hot dogs pour down from the upper decks, some landing on the right-hand lawn.
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The Phillies weren’t playing clean and crisp baseball. Their rising team allowed five RBIs against Miami. Third baseman Edmundo Sosa committed an error in the top of the third inning. With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Bryson Stott hit a bases-loaded single off of Jesús Lozardo to score two runs, but took a turn too far at first base. Jean Segura cut the throw to the plate and threw first, nailing Stott, who swept the sack. Stott sat along the first base line for a few seconds after that. He described it as a “shrinkage” moment that changed the game’s momentum.
“I saw the left fielder jump the layup and I saw the shortstop running to third, so I knew he missed that cut,” Stott said. “It was just a good play for Gene. To come over and throw across. I mean, that’s what we do. It wasn’t a good play myself.”
The bulls are not as durable as in the previous games. Left-handed Gregory Soto finished the sixth inning without allowing a run, but Conor Brogdon allowed a leadoff home run to Luis Aries in the seventh. Andrew Pilati, who has yet to allow an earned run this season, allowed three of his own in the eighth inning — which is when the hot dogs started to fall. He allowed a single to Arraz, who hit for the cycle. It was the first turnover in Marlins history. Arizona, last year’s American League champ, has smashed . 537/. 596/. 732 this season.
Pilati had made six appearances prior to Tuesday night. Brogdon had pitched in five. Manager Rob Thompson said that could have contributed to their performance on Tuesday.
“We work really well with these guys,” Thompson said. “We have to get some length [from the starters] At some point to settle the bulls a bit. we will.”
In the big leagues, there isn’t much room for error, but there was less room on Tuesday. Lozardo closed out the Phillies for five innings. Phillies outfielder Aaron Nola saw his speed creep, compared to his previous start in New York, but he did allow some difficult contact. In all, Nola gave up nine hits and four runs in 5 ⅔ innings, six hits and gave up one homer.
Nola’s line doesn’t exactly tell the whole story. The Phillies pitched a good five innings, but were unable to finish the sixth inning, mainly due to a missed call by home plate umpire Nate Tomlinson. The Marlins broke things off in the top of the sixth when Jorge Soler doubled on a run that Yuli Gurriel singled out on another run.
By the time Segura got to the plate, Miami was up, 3-0. He worked Nola to a score of 2-2, with two outs, and took a sinker that landed inside the strike zone. Tomlinson called it a ball, and Segura designated it two pitches later.
“It was frustrating,” Nola said of the sixth inning. “I didn’t make the pitches I needed with two strikes. I felt like I was one step away. I kept missing a little bit. They kept getting some hits and it escalated.”
Nick Fortis followed Segura and singled out to score Gurriel. Suddenly, the score was 4-0. Nola left after that.
The Phillies attempted to rally in the bottom of the eighth, and again in the bottom of the ninth. JT Realmuto hit an RBI double to two left to score Brandon Marsh on a run in the ninth. But it was in vain. Nick Castellanos struck out to end the game.
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