MIAMI – The Phillies’ offense continued its September disappearing act in a 3-1 loss to the Miami Marlins on Monday afternoon.
The Phillies are 0-3 in September. They have scored one run in each game.
They won’t stay in the race much longer with that kind of output.
The skid
The Phillies have lost three in a row and 11 of 15. They are 9-17 since sweeping a four-game series against the Marlins on Aug. 2-5 to go 15 games over .500. The Phils are 72-65. They entered the day trailing first-place Atlanta by four games in the NL East and were 3 ½ back in the wild-card chase.
After the Braves' loss to the Red Sox, the Phillies remain four games back in the division.
MLB
The only run
Asdrubal Cabrera’s solo homer in the second accounted for the Phillies’ only run. The Phils had just four hits and three were singles. They did not draw a walk.
One bad inning
With a 12-man bullpen, manager Gabe Kapler did not give starting pitcher Vince Velasquez a long leash. Velasquez struck out three of the last five batters he faced, but was gone after five innings and 73 pitches. He allowed five hits and three runs. Four of the hits and all of the runs came in the second inning as the Marlins built a 3-1 lead.
Pitching and defense
The Phillies hit a few balls hard against Miami starter Jose Urena but got nothing to show for it. Miami rightfielder Rafael Ortega made the defensive play of the game on one of them when he raced back to the wall and reached over his head to haul in a bullet by Carlos Santana. The play saved a run and preserved the Marlins’ two-run lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning.
Urena held the Phillies to four hits and a run over seven innings. He walked none and struck out seven. The Phils had scored 11 runs in nine innings the previous two times they had faced Urena this season.
Hoskins rests
Rhys Hoskins was held out of the starting lineup. He was 0 for 8 with six strikeouts lifetime against Urena. Hoskins hit a ball to the left-field wall as a pinch-hitter in the eighth.
Franco sidelined
Maikel Franco sat with a sore wrist. After the game, he said he does not believe he'll play Tuesday either.
Eick is back
The Phillies activated Jerad Eickhoff from the 60-day disabled list before the game. He will pitch out of the bullpen. His addition gives the Phils 12 relievers.
To make room for Eickhoff on the 40-man roster, the Phillies designated pitcher Ben Lively for assignment. Lively opened the season in the big club’s starting rotation and went 0-2 with a 6.85 ERA in five starts. He spent time on the disabled list in both the majors and Triple A.
Up next
Jake Arrieta gets the ball on Tuesday night and the Phillies are going to need a better performance than the three innings of four-run ball he gave them in his last outing against Washington. The Phillies ended up winning that game, 8-6, but Arrieta was not sharp. He threw 75 pitches and got just one swing and miss.
“The effort I gave tonight wasn’t acceptable,” Arrieta said after that game. “I expect a lot more, and so do my teammates, from my starts.”