The front-running Phillies are one game away from a sweep in Miami.
The Phils jumped out to another early lead and won a 4-2 contest Saturday afternoon over the Marlins.
Jesus Luzardo tallied his 13th win for the 83-59 Phillies. He threw six innings and allowed five hits and two runs. Luzardo walked four and struck out eight, raising his season total to 190.
With Trea Turner sitting, Kyle Schwarber led off for the Phillies and reached on a hit by pitch. Phillies manager Rob Thomson told reporters in Miami that Turner’s rare day off was planned.
After Alec Bohm lined out, Bryce Harper cracked a 1-2 Sandy Alcantara fastball over the center-field wall.
The Phillies tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning. Brandon Marsh doubled and sprinted home on Harrison Bader’s RBI single up the middle. Max Kepler then blooped a hit into shallow left field and Edmundo Sosa beat out an infield single. Bryson Stott’s sacrifice fly extended the Phillies’ advantage to 4-0.
Luzardo struck out the side in the second inning and did it again in the third. He was a bit unfortunate to concede two runs in the fourth. Three of the Marlins’ four hits in the frame came on soft contact, but Miami halved the Phils’ lead.
As usual this season, Luzardo’s sweeper was his standout pitch. He had a sweeper-heavy approach Saturday, throwing it on 48 of his 100 pitches.
The pitch has been a great go-to for Luzardo and it’s a major reason why he’s allowed zero home runs to left-handed batters this year. Among National League sweepers, Luzardo’s has the highest whiff rate (43.5 percent).
Luzardo walked Eric Wagaman with one out in the sixth inning and gave Javier Sanoja a free pass with two outs. Thomson stuck with Luzardo and he successfully finished off the inning after pitching coach Caleb Cotham’s mound visit. Troy Johnston flew out to center field on a sweeper.
David Robertson took the ball in the seventh inning and worked around Maximo Acosta’s leadoff double. Bizarrely, Acosta attempted to steal third base with one out. J.T. Realmuto rifled a strong throw to Bohm for his second caught stealing of the day and the 200th of his career.
The Phillies were unable to find any late-inning insurance runs. Schwarber was just short of his 50th homer in the ninth, flying out 389 feet to deep center.
The back end of the bullpen didn’t need a cushion. Matt Strahm pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning and Jhoan Duran did the same in the ninth.
Taijuan Walker (4-7, 3.92 ERA) will start the series finale Sunday at 1:40 p.m. ET. Miami has yet to name its starter.
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