Dee-lightful: Gordon's walk-off 2B lifts Marlins
MIAMI -- After making a nifty over-the-shoulder catch to end the top of the 11th inning, Dee Gordon ended things with his bat. The All-Star second baseman laced a two-out double that enabled the Marlins to walk off on the Phillies for a 4-3 win on Wednesday night, ending Miami's four-game losing streak.
In the top of the 11th, Darin Ruf lifted a pop fly and Gordon ranged into short center field to make a great play. Then in the bottom of the 11th, Miguel Rojas singled off Jerome Williams, and after Ichiro Suzuki walked, Gordon doubled, giving Miami its ninth walk-off win.
Video: PHI@MIA: Gordon makes great over-the-shouler catch
"We battled hard. We needed that win," Gordon said. "This just shows what type of character we've got. We're not giving up. This shows what time of character these guys have."
"That's his first walk-off in a few years, since maybe 2012. It couldn't come at a better time," Miami manager Dan Jennings said. "I was just happy for the quality of the at-bat he had right there. He put a great swing on that ball, split the gap. It's good to see Dee do what he does. It seems like every night he does something to help you."
Video: PHI@MIA: Gordon discusses walk-off, gets dunked on
The Marlins beat the Phillies for the second time in the last 10 tries.
The Phillies claimed a 3-2 lead in the 10th inning on Freddy Galvis' two-out RBI single off Kyle Barraclough. Barraclough got into trouble in the 10th with a one-out walk to Andres Blanco, who was forced out at second on Brian Bogusevic's fielder's choice grounder. After Bogusevic stole second, setting up Galvis' two-out single to left.
But Miami pulled even in the bottom of the 10th, scoring an unearned run when Suzuki raced home on Carlos Ruiz's throwing error. Suzuki singled, and moved to second on Gordon's bunt single off Ken Giles, who blew his first save in 14 chances since becoming the Phillies' closer. On Donovan Solano's bunt, Ruiz gambled with a throw to third, but the ball skipped into the outfield.
"You can't expect your closer to be perfect every time," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin. "It happens. Unfortunately, it happened due to poor defense, which is lamentable to say the least."
Video: PHI@MIA: Jennings on walk-off win over the Phillies
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Blast for Bour: Justin Bour's power potential continues to surface. The Miami first baseman launched a home run to right to open the fourth inning, which at the time put the Marlins ahead 2-0. Bour now has 19 home runs, with nine coming since the All-Star Break. The last left-handed hitting Marlins player to reach 20 home runs is Logan Morrison, who hit 23 in 2011. Since moving into Marlins Park in 2012, Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna are the only Miami players to reach or surpass the 20-homer plateau. Bour is one away.
Video: PHI@MIA: Bour goes deep to lead off the 4th inning
Giles blows first save: Giles blew his first save in 14 opportunities since he replaced Jonathan Papelbon in July. Sloppy play played a major part in it with Giles dropping a bunt up the first base line and Ruiz throwing a ball into left field, trying to make a play at third base.
"As much as I would love to be perfect, it's not going to happen," Giles said. More >
Video: PHI@MIA: Ichiro scores on error to tie the game
Conley K's eight: As the season winds down, Miami's Adam Conley is showing no signs of wearing down. If anything, the 25-year-old lefty is getting stronger. He struck out a career-high eight, two starts after fanning seven in 4 1/3 innings in a no-decision against the Brewers. Conley has given up one run in 13 innings with 14 strikeouts in his last two starts, including seven shutout innings in a win at the Mets. While the lefty was getting strikeouts on Wednesday, it was a key ground ball he induced from Ruiz with the bases loaded and no outs in the fifth inning that was a big moment. Conley allowed just one run in the inning, and preserved a 2-1 lead.
"He's making a huge step forward. He's trusting his stuff," Jennings said. "The fastball he's featuring now. We're trying to tell him, 'as hard as you can as long as you can.' Tonight, I thought he created an excellent tempo. He got in a good rhythm. Drove his fastball downhill, up to 95, 96. Tremendous use of his slider and his changeup. Just the way he competed in the strike zone was tremendous." More >
Video: PHI@MIA: Conley fans eight, allows one run over six
Buchanan steadies himself: It has been a rough season for Phillies right-hander David Buchanan, who had a 9.11 ERA after his first 10 starts. But after allowing one earned run in five innings against the Marlins, Buchanan is hoping to carry some modest success into the offseason, posting a 2.45 ERA (three earned runs in 11 innings) in his last two starts.
"Buchanan, we got him out early because we wanted him to leave on a positive note," Mackanin said.
Video: PHI@MIA: Buchanan strikes out Bour to end the frame
QUOTABLE
"Once I waved off the outfielders, the ball took a funny move. I was like, 'Oh, no.' I was able to catch it though." -- Gordon, on his over-the-shoulder catch to rob Ruf
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With his second-inning single, Rojas extended his hitting streak to a career-high eight games.
INSTANT REPLAY
Phillies pinch-hitter Erik Kratz appeared to score the game-tying run from third base on a passed ball in the eighth inning, but home-plate umpire Carlos Torres called him out. But instant replay showed Kratz clearly stepped on the plate as he collided with Marlins pitcher Mike Dunn. The call was overturned.
Video: PHI@MIA: Kratz scores on wild pitch, ties game
With one out in the bottom of the 10th, Bour bounced a grounder to Ruf, who threw to Galvis at second to get Solano going from first to second. The throw was high -- almost pulling Galvis off the base -- but he barely clipped the bag as Solano was ruled out for the second out of the inning. Jennings challenged the call, but the out was upheld after a two-minute, 29-second review.
"You have to be in contact," Jennings said. "Part of the rule there to review that is to eliminate, unless there is a chance the guy can be involved in a collision. On one angle, it looked like he was off the bag. On the other angle, it was a little fuzzy. So my guess was that it probably wasn't conclusive enough to overturn."
WHAT'S NEXT
Phillies: Phillies rookie Alec Asher (0-4, 9.78 ERA) hopes to get something going in Thursday night's series finale against the Marlins at 7:10 p.m. ET. So far, Asher hasn't experienced much success, allowing 30 hits and 21 runs in just 19 1/3 innings over four starts.
Marlins: In the series finale on Thursday, Jarred Cosart (2-4, 4.33) gets the nod. Cosart was a 38th-round Draft pick by the Phillies in 2008. The right-hander is 1-1 (3.27) this year against his division rival.
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