PHILADELPHIA -- When Marlins pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr. asks for a happy getaway day, it’s wise to grant his wish.

Right-hander Edward Cabrera continued his dominance since returning from the injured list, striking out six batters across 5 2/3 innings in Thursday afternoon’s 3-0 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. It salvaged the three-game series and sent the Marlins back to Miami with a 2-4 record on their two-city trip.

“I feel more confident this year,” Cabrera said via an interpreter. “I trust my secondary pitches and my fastball and myself. It's just something overall, I feel better.”

Cabrera, who started the trip’s opener and finale, has tossed 10 2/3 scoreless innings in his two outings back from the IL. He gave up just three hits with five walks and 14 strikeouts. The flamethrower always has had top-of-the-rotation stuff. It’s a matter of staying healthy.

The 24-year-old Cabrera got a late start during Spring Training due to a biceps issue, then missed nearly two months with right elbow tendinitis. In 2021, an inflamed nerve delayed his MLB debut until August.

“He's been good,” manager Don Mattingly said. “This is a kid that obviously goes through it last year. I think you look at it, and like all of them, they're going to gain something from it no matter if it's good or bad. I think the experience of being here, taking that into the winter, [when] he came back he wasn't totally healthy, but he still has that experience of being here and knowing he can compete here.”

Of Cabrera’s three hits allowed on Thursday, one didn’t leave the infield. The other was a half swing that beat the shift with two outs in the second inning to produce the last knock Philadelphia would tally against him.

In each of the first two frames, Cabrera recorded the first two outs before allowing the next two baserunners to reach. Four of his first six outs came via the strikeout, raising his pitch count to 43. He needed fewer pitches in the third (nine) and fourth (17) innings, as Cabrera was effective living on the edges, particularly down in the zone. He also was able to take advantage of batters getting themselves out.

“He just was commanding every single one of his pitches,” catcher Nick Fortes said. “He's got five different pitches that move different ways. He was commanding all of them. He was giving them a bunch of different looks, and his misses were good misses. Whenever he did miss, it was off the plate, not over the middle, so his misses were quality misses. He was really good today.”

With left-handed-hitting Darick Hall stepping to the plate with nobody on and two outs in the sixth, Mattingly turned to southpaw Steven Okert. Cabrera was at 91 pitches -- his highest total since June 12. Mattingly noted that the young righty is, in a sense, still rehabbing by building up his pitch count. If he got another batter, it didn’t make sense for the lefty Okert to face the right-handed-hitting Nick Castellanos next.

After handing the ball over, Cabrera gave a fist bump to every infielder to express his appreciation for their work behind him. His gem followed up Wednesday night’s tough loss for ace and mentor Sandy Alcantara. Cabrera has pitched into the sixth inning in three of his five starts in 2022. He has held the opponent scoreless in three of them.

Despite losing two of three, Miami held Philadelphia to eight runs in the series. The Phillies entered the finale having won 12 of 13 and averaging 5.9 runs per game during that stretch. They got their first look at Cabrera in his 12th big league start. If things play out the way the Marlins hope, he will torment the Phillies for years to come.

“Keeping Pablo [López] and our guys coming off the IL, it's the one thing you felt like we sold a little bit with our relievers, but we felt we had replacements for that, and the rotation gives you a chance to be in games,” Mattingly said. “We walk into Philly -- I think they scored 30-something runs last series -- and we give up eight runs in three games. So our pitching is going to keep us in it. It's a matter of are we going to be able to score enough to win games.”