Narrow Loss Spoils Phillips’ Longest Marlins Start

Tyler Phillips turned in the longest outing of the season, but one costly swing proved to be the difference as the Miami Marlins fell 2-1 to the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday at Busch Stadium.

Phillips allowed a two-run homer to Bryan Torres and lasted a season-high 7 1/3 innings. Phillips said after the game that pitching in the middle of the afternoon on a humid summer day in St. Louis had him figuratively fighting for his life. 

“I felt like I was in survival mode from the first pitch on,” Phillips said. “I don’t recommend pitching a day game in St. Louis.”

Making his fourth start of the season, Phillips recovered well after the early damage. After giving up a 2-0 lead to the Cardinals in the second inning, the right-hander settled in from there, retiring 12 consecutive batters after the homer. 

He did not allow another run and scattered six hits while striking out six without issuing a walk, giving the Marlins a chance to rally throughout the afternoon. Phillips said if he was issuing too many walks, it would be a “short day, but a long day” on the mound. 

“I do remember kind of joking around because it was hot, and my body did feel pretty terrible. I kept telling [Marlins pitching coach Daniel Moskos] down in the tunnel, ‘Hey, I’m going nine today.’ He’s like, ‘Let’s focus on one batter at a time.’ And I said I’ll do that through nine innings.”

Miami finally broke through against Cardinals starter Kyle Leahy in the fifth inning. Owen Caissie doubled to lead off the inning for the Marlins’ first hit before Graham Pauley followed with a double of his own to provide the Marlins with their only run of the game. 

Since being called back up from Triple-A Jacksonville, Pauley has driven in a run in both games he was in the lineup during the weekend series. 

Phillips exited with one out in the eighth inning after allowing consecutive baserunners. Cade Gibson came in relief and inherited runners at the corners. Rookie catcher Joe Mack pulled off a pickoff move at third base, and Gibson followed it up by ending the inning with a strikeout.

“Great play in that moment to, one, have the confidence to do it, which he should, and then to execute it,” Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said after the game. “You never know what might happen if it’s still first and third, and to knock that runner down and go into the ninth down a run, just a real heady, athletic play.”

Leahy allowed only one run on two hits with three walks and three strikeouts over five innings before the bullpen finished the job. Cardinals closer Riley O’Brien worked a scoreless ninth to collect his 20th save in 24 opportunities.

The loss snapped Miami’s four-game winning streak, but the Marlins (44-40) still secured their seventh series of June. The Marlins dropped down to 0.5 games behind the third National League wild card spot. 

Miami opens a three-game series Monday against the Colorado Rockies with right-hander Sandy Alcantara (8-4, 4.01 ERA) scheduled to start. 

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