Though it lasted only four innings, Jake Arrieta's debut was the main storyline in the Phillies' series finale Sunday against the Marlins.
Arrieta struggled in the first but was money after that, retiring 10 of the last 11 batters he faced, five via strikeout (see Arrieta observations).
The Phillies, however, failed to score after Arrieta exited.
Other important developments from the Phils' 6-3 loss to lowly Miami:
Miscues behind the plate
It could be argued that at least three of the Marlins' six runs were a result of subpar defense from Phillies catcher Andrew Knapp.
Knapp was called for catcher's interference on a two-out, two-strike count in Arrieta's first inning. It loaded the bases and led to a two-run single.
MLB
With the game tied in the eighth inning and Adam Morgan on the mound, Knapp had a key passed ball that allowed runners on first and second to advance a base. Two pitches later, Brian Anderson delivered the game-winning two-run double.
Luis Garcia, who began the eighth with a hit batsman and a walk, was charged for both runs and the loss.
Catchers are given an error on catcher's interference calls, so Phillies backstops now have five errors in just eight games. Every other catcher in the National League combined has six.
In seven of his 11 seasons with the Phillies, Carlos Ruiz was not called for any catcher's interferences.
Rhys the Robot
Rhys Hoskins is a machine. He reached base three more times Sunday and is hitting .440/.559/.760 so far this season. His batting average and OBP both lead the majors; his .760 SLG is third.
Hoskins has reached base 19 times in 34 plate appearances and has five doubles, a homer and as many walks (7) as strikeouts.
Paul Goldschmidt Jr., ladies and gentlemen.
Too bold on the basepaths?
Both Hoskins and Pedro Florimon were caught stealing, with Hoskins being nailed by the pitcher after leaving second base early.
The Phillies have attempted 13 stolen bases, tied with the Nationals for most in the majors. They're tied for second in MLB with nine successful steals but have also been caught more than all but two teams.
The Marlins are sooooooo bad
Can this Miami team win 50 games? Not even an exaggeratory question.
Despite Sunday's Marlins win, just look at the team they fielded this weekend against the Phillies. Only one player on the active roster has ever hit .300 in a full season (Starlin Castro). Not one has ever hit more than 25 home runs in a season.
And the three Marlins starting pitchers the Phillies faced? They had a combined 11 starts entering the series and allowed 15 earned runs in 9⅔ innings for a 13.97 ERA.
The worst record in MLB history for a team that played 162 games belongs to the 2003 Tigers (43-119). Keep that in the back of your head.
Crawford's struggles continue
J.P. Crawford is pretty much an automatic out at the bottom of the Phillies' lineup right now. After four more ugly at-bats, Crawford is 1 for 23 (.043) on the season with one walk and eight strikeouts.
If this continues — and it's not just the numbers, it's Crawford's approach and swing — it wouldn't be a huge surprise if the Phillies eventually sent him back to Triple A to rebuild some confidence. They could start Scott Kingery and Florimon at shortstop in the meantime.
Up next
The Phillies (3-5) host the Reds (2-6), another NL cellar-dweller, for three games.
• On Monday, Ben Lively opposes lefty Cody Reed.
• On Tuesday, Aaron Nola faces Homer Bailey.
• On Wednesday, it's Nick Pivetta vs. Luis Castillo.