Phillies-Marlins 5 things: Vince Velasquez returns, hopes to hit reset button

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Phillies (30-61) at Marlins (42-49)
7:10 p.m. on CSN; streaming live on CSNPhilly.com and the NBC Sports App

Taking a look at Game 2 of the Phillies' three-game series in Miami:

1. More one-run pain
The Phillies opened their series against the Marlins with yet another one-run loss, their major-league leading 25th of the season.

It's uncommon for a team to so consistently fall short in close games. There are only two other teams in baseball with even 15 one-run losses. Last season, the Mariners led the majors in one-run losses with 30.

Credit to Hector Neris for working out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the ninth inning last night, but all it did was delay the inevitable by about 30 minutes.

2. Velasquez returns
Vince Velasquez makes his return to the Phillies' rotation on the same mound he left with an elbow injury back on May 30.

Velasquez (2-5, 5.58) made three rehab starts, one apiece for Clearwater, Reading and Lehigh Valley. He worked his way up to 70 pitches in the last start July 13, so expect his maximum tonight to be around 80 to 85 pitches. (When Jerad Eickhoff returned from the DL just before the All-Star break, he threw 71 pitches.)

Hopefully, the time off allowed Velasquez to clear his head a bit. His 10 starts earlier this season were rocky, with him allowing four-plus runs four times and lasting at least six innings only three times.

Velasquez has been honest about his performance this season. He's admitted that he's been confused on the mound at times and that he's occasionally gotten away from his strengths. A few weeks ago, he admitted that sometimes he envisions himself as a closer. That comment shouldn't be blown out of proportion because Velasquez still wants to prove he can stick in a rotation and the Phillies will give him every chance to do so.

This will be Velasquez's third start of the season against the Marlins. He beat them on April 26 by allowing three runs over 6⅓ innings. Then on May 30, he allowed two runs in 1⅓ innings and exited early with the elbow injury, which looked scarier then it's turned out to be.

Christian Yelich is 3 for 12 off Velasquez with two homers. Marcell Ozuna is 3 for 10 with a homer and two walks. J.T. Realmuto is 4 for 9, all singles.

3. Phils get another struggling starter
After facing Tom Koehler and his 8.00 ERA last night, the Phillies will face left-hander Adam Conley, who is 2-3 with a 7.53 ERA and hasn't pitched in the majors since May 8.

Conley, a wiry lefty with a fastball-slider-changeup mix, had a solid year with the Marlins in 2016, going 8-6 with a 3.85 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 133⅓ innings. Control was often a problem for him and it got worse this season. Conley walked 16 batters in 28⅔ innings earlier this year and has walked a total of 78 in 162 innings the last two seasons.

That said, control issues have not plagued him against the Phillies. In five career meetings, he's 2-1 with a 1.47 ERA. He's pitched 30⅔ innings against the Phils without allowing a home run.

Odubel Herrera and Cesar Hernandez have combined to go 7 for 17 with three walks off Conley, good for a .500 OBP.

4. Big damage from Stanton
Giancarlo Stanton went deep twice last night and almost hit a third home run, but Cameron Perkins made a jumping catch at the wall in left-center to rob him.

Stanton tends to do this against the rest of the league but not the Phillies. It was only the second time he had multiple homers against the Phils in 91 career games and the first time since April 12, 2014.

In fact, Stanton had just six homers against the Phillies in their last 37 meetings before Monday night.

Stanton, always an injury risk, has played in 90 of 91 games this season and hit .275/.363/.580 with 28 homers (leads NL) and 62 RBIs. 

5. This and that
• The Phillies have taken somewhat long looks at both Perkins and Brock Stassi this season and the results just haven't been there. Perkins is 7 for 41 with 12 strikeouts. Stassi is 13 for 77 with 22 K's. Combined, they've hit .169. 

Neither was a big-time offensive prospect coming up and neither figures to be a piece of the Phils' future, so they could both be 40-man roster casualties in the coming months.

• The Marlins have five starters with an OBP of .360 or higher: Stanton, Yelich, Ozuna, Realmuto and Justin Bour. The Phillies' leader is Aaron Altherr at .359.

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