Marlins slowed after early burst in frustrating loss

MIAMI -- Jimmy Rollins and the Phillies spoiled the Marlins' homecoming Tuesday night, handing the team with the best home record in the Majors a 6-5 loss at Marlins Park.

The Marlins, returning home following an 11-day road trip to the West Coast where they went 4-7, entered Tuesday night's game with a 17-5 home record, but that didn't seem to faze the visiting Phillies, who rallied from a 3-2 deficit on the strength of Rollins' sixth homer to drop the Marlins to .500.

The loss also spoiled the first Marlins Park start for Anthony DeSclafani, the former University of Florida star who was making his second Major League start after winning his debut on May 14 at the Dodgers.

DeSclafani didn't pitch as well as he did in his first start, but there were two pitches in particular that hurt him -- a double to Phillies starting pitcher A.J. Burnett, followed by a two-run homer by Rollins in the top of the fifth that gave the Phillies a 4-3 lead they would not relinquish.

"Obviously, if I could have one pitch back, it would be the one to Rollins," DeSclafani said. "The team gave me a lead and I've got to put zeros up after that. I gave him too good a pitch to hit. I've got to make better pitches, especially when the team gives me a lead."

The Marlins closed to within a run in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single by Garrett Jones, who was 4-for-5 with two RBIs, and had the tying run at third, but Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon got Jarrod Saltalamacchia to fly out to center for the final out to record his 12th save.

"We had a ton of opportunities to score and add on runs," said Marlins manager Mike Redmond, who was ejected in the sixth.

The Marlins collected only six hits, but stranded 10 runners on base.

"Just some contact would have generated some runs, but it didn't happen tonight," Redmond said.

The Phillies struck for two quick runs off DeSclafani in the first inning. Cleanup hitter Ryan Howard lined an RBI double to right field that scored Rollins, who led off the game with a single and stole second. A grounder to short by Marlon Byrd scored Chase Utley to give Philadelphia a 2-0 lead.

The Marlins answered with two runs in the bottom of the first. An RBI single by Casey McGehee made it 2-1, and a bases-loaded walk to Marcell Ozuna brought home Giancarlo Stanton to tie the game.

Stanton scored again in the third when he walked for the second time and raced home on a double down the right-field line by Jones to give the Marlins a 3-2 lead.

Tony Gwynn Jr. robbed the Marlins of padding their lead in the fourth, when he sprinted to the warning track to make an over-the-shoulder catch of a drive by Derek Dietrich for the third out with Christian Yelich on second.

Gwynn's defensive gem was magnified in the top of the fifth when Rollins homered after Burnett's double.

Byrd's one-out double in the top of the sixth chased DeSclafani, who went 5 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits. He walked only one and struck out two, throwing 89 pitches, 57 of them for strikes.

"It looked like his command wasn't quite as sharp, and it looked like his tempo was a little slower," Redmond said of DeSclafani. "Seemed to me he was feeling for it a little more than he was in his first start. It's a tough lineup and he was trying to execute his pitches, and it just didn't happen today."

Following DeSclafani's exit, the Phillies loaded the bases with two outs off Brad Hand. John Mayberry Jr., pinch-hitting for Burnett, laced a single past McGehee at third to score Byrd and Cody Asche and give the Phillies a 6-3 lead.

Redmond was ejected by home plate umpire Will Little in the bottom of the sixth after Little rung up Adeiny Hechavarria on a called third strike that appeared a little high and inside on replays. Redmond vehemently argued with Little and scuffed dirt in the batter's box toward Little before exiting the game. It was the first time this season Redmond has been ejected.

"It was unfortunate," Redmond said. "I tried to be patient, but at the end of the day I just couldn't watch any more."

The Marlins narrowed the deficit to 6-4 in the eighth on an RBI single by Saltalamacchia and had the potential tying runs at the corners with no outs, but Phillies reliever Mike Adams pitched out of the jam, setting the stage for Papelbon.