The Miami Marlins beat the Philadelphia Phillies in spring training as Joe Mack hit a grand slam and Chris Paddack delivered a sharp, controlled outing.
The Miami Marlins shook off an early miscue and erupted for a five-run middle stretch to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 6-1 in Grapefruit League action on Tuesday, with Chris Paddack’s sharp debut setting the tone.
Miami’s offense will grab headlines, particularly Joe Mack’s fifth-inning grand slam, but the afternoon began with a quietly encouraging inning from Paddack.
Linescore
W: Zach Brzykcy (1-0), L: Andrew Walling (0-1)
Paddack Efficient, In Control
Chris Paddack worked the opening inning and allowed one unearned run after Trea Turner came around to score on a pickoff error by catcher Joe Mack. Despite the blemish, Paddack’s underlying performance was crisp.
The right-hander threw 21 pitches, topping out at 94.5 miles per hour and averaging 93.4 mph on his four-seam fastball. He generated a 62-percent overall strike rate and limited hard contact, allowing just one hit with a 92.5-mph average exit velocity. His fastball produced a 40-percent whiff rate on swings, while his cutter -- which he used nearly a quarter of the time -- helped get early strikes.
Paddack mixed five pitches in his one inning of work, including a changeup that remains a key weapon. The velocity was in line with his career norms, and more importantly, his command within the zone looked controlled. For a veteran fighting to solidify his role, it was a steady and professional frame.
After the early defensive mistake, Paddack quickly regrouped and finished his outing without further damage.
Mack Breaks It Open
The Marlins tied the game in the second inning when Xavier Edwards lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Liam Hicks.
The decisive blow came in the fifth. With the bases loaded, Joe Mack launched a 336-foot home run to left field, clearing the wall and emptying the bases. Ethan O’Donnell , Otto Lopez, and Deyvison De Los Santos all scored on the swing, turning a tight contest into a 5-1 advantage.
O’Donnell added insurance in the sixth with an RBI double to left, scoring Dillon Lewis to make it 6-1.
Miami collected seven hits overall, highlighted by multi-hit performances from Hicks and key extra-base hits from Lopez and O’Donnell.
Bullpen Slams the Door
After Paddack, the Marlins’ bullpen took over and dominated. Adam Mazur, Dax Fulton, John King, Zach Brzykcy, Cade Gibson and Jack Ralston combined to allow just three hits while striking out 12 Phillies hitters across eight innings.
Ralston’s three-strikeout frame and Brzykcy’s efficient inning stood out as Miami limited Philadelphia to a .138 team average.
For the Marlins, this was the kind of complete spring performance that checks multiple boxes: veteran stability from Paddack, power from a rising bat in Mack, and bullpen depth flashing swing-and-miss stuff.
It’s only spring, but this version of Miami looked sharp from first pitch to final out.
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