What’s In a Name? Phillies 1, Marlins 0
· Yahoo Sports
Names are a funny thing. Today’s Phillies starter has a name that accurately describes him: Aaron Nola is from Louisiana, where one can find New Orleans, or NOLA (he’s from Baton Rouge, but I have a good time with these puns, so I’m gonna laissez les bons temps rouler). Today’s Marlins starter has a name, that, unfortunately for the Phillies, did not describe him accurately: the quality of Janson Junk’s offerings was quite high today. Also, he’s not a junkballer, which seems like a tremendous missed opportunity.
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The Phillies put Bryce Harper aboard against Junk via two-out double in the first, though couldn’t plate him. Similarly, the Marlins put one aboard against Nola, with the other three batters making outs.
The Phillies made a bit of progress in the second, putting two aboard, as Brandon Marsh smacked a single to right, and Alec Bohm reached on a bobbled ball error from Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez. But the end result was the same as their first frame, as they scored no runs. The inning ended when Justin Crawford fought Junk across nine pitches, ultimately grounding out to second.
The pattern was clear, and it was beautiful: one runner in the first, two runners in the second. If it held, the Phillies would get three in the third, then the Phillies would get their fourth baserunner, and their first run, in the fourth. It was elegant and symmetrical, and just-so, and Bryce Harper ruined it by hitting a solo homer to right in the third. Extremely inconsiderate of him.
More considerate was Nola, who provided a steady hand for the visitors. He allowed some scattered baserunners through four, but allowing none to advance past first. He was aided in this by Garrett Stubbs, who put out two Fish trying to steal second.
But the Phillies produced a lot of junk against Junk, and as the sixth dawned, they had still just the one run to their name. Junk, after a start that very much did not live up (down?) to his name, took his leave after inducing an out from Harper and surrendering a single to Adolis García. He was replaced with a hurler who had a significantly more noble-sounding name: John King. King, by royal decree, exiled the remaining Phillies back to their dugout.
Nola kept the Fish flailing through the sixth, with the home club still unable to reach third base. But the Phillies did some phlailing of their own, finishing four consecutive innings without getting a baserunner past first. Nola’s day ended after six (5 H, 5 K, 0 BB, 0 ER), and Tanner Banks came on. Would he live up to his name, by being cash money?
He would. The inning got off to a bit of a rough start as Xavier Edwards made it to first when Trea Turner bobbled a ball. But Banks was unfazed, and tossed the next three Fish back into the sea. Speaking of bodies of water, the next Marlin on the mound was Lake Bachar. Would he live up to his name, by drowning the Phillies?
He would. Harper broke his bat as he bounced a ball into center for a single, but Bachar battled back, putting Harper’s compatriots away and stranding everyone’s favorite fan of the Phanatic on first. The Phillies, still clinging to a 1-0 lead, put José Alvarado on the mound to keep the Marlins on the hook in the eighth. Like Banks and Nola before him, he proved unsolvable for Miami. We thus entered the ninth in a holding pattern. And it held, at least for the Phillies, who went down in order.
Brad Keller was tasked with sending the Marlins home without a run to hang their caps on. He allowed a leadoff single to Kyle Stowers (immediately replaced with Javier Sanoja as a pinch runner), then induced a classic double play ball to put the Marlins on the brink. Edwards came to the plate in the thrilling, chilling position of being both the potential tying run and the potential final out.
He was neither. He singled to right, then saw the game end as Liam Hicks broke his bat on a little chopper to Stott. Thus, we saw exactly what we hoped to see. Namely, a Phillies win.
The Phillies are 15-20. They return home to start a three-game set against their old neighbors, the Athletics, tomorrow at 6:40.