The Sports Xchange
May 30, 2017
MIAMI -- Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna homered to lead the resurgent Miami Marlins to a 7-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night at Marlins Park.
Both starting pitchers left the game because of injuries. Miami left-hander Justin Nicolino did not allow a hit, walk or run in three innings but was forced to leave with a 7-0 lead after suffering a contusion on his left index finger.
Phillies starter Vince Velasquez (2-5) suffered a right elbow flexor strain and departed after 1 1/3 innings.
The Marlins (20-30) have won four of their past five games. They have won consecutive series -- Los Angeles Angels and the Phillies -- for the first time all season. Miami's three-game win streak ties its season high.
Reliever Dustin McGowan (2-0) allowed one run in three innings.
Stanton hit his team-high 14th homer, a two-run shot. Ozuna belted his 13th, a solo blast.
Stanton, who played only five innings, went 1-for-3 and is 14-for-29 with three homers since being moved to the two-hole in the batting order.
The Phillies (17-33), who are in last place in the National League East, are 6-24 in their past 30 games.
Velasquez allowed two runs and two hits. His troubles began with the homer he gave up to Ozuna, who led off the second inning with a rocket to left field.
Justin Bour, the next batter, pulled a double off the wall in right, and J.T. Realmuto hit a deep drive that was run down in right-center by Aaron Altherr.
That was enough for Velasquez, who was replaced by Mark Leiter Jr., who was on the mound when a hard shot by Derek Dietrich got by second baseman Cesar Hernandez for a 2-0 Miami lead. The play was ruled an error on Hernandez.
Miami made it 4-0 in the third. Dee Gordon led off with an infield single, and Stanton followed with his opposite-field homer into the Marlins bullpen in right. Miami scored three more times in the inning with two of the runs coming on a bases-loaded walk by Realmuto and an RBI single by JT Riddle.
Philadelphia closed its deficit to 7-1 in the fourth. Howie Kendrick, in his second game back from the disabled list (oblique), drilled a homer to center.
NOTES: After 3B Maikel Franco produced two singles and a walk in his last 22 plate appearances, the Phillies rested him on Tuesday. ... Marlins RHP Junichi Tazawa (rib cartilage) is nearing a rehab assignment. ... LHP Braxton Garrett, Miami's top prospect, is being shut down temporarily because of elbow soreness. The Marlins, who are confident Garrett will be fine with rest, want to limit him to 100 innings this year. ... Phillies CF Odubel Herrera was benched for the second straight game. He is batting .181 in May and .217 overall. ... .Marlins 3B prospect James Nelson ranks third in the Low-A Midwest League with a .348 batting average and owns a 15-game hit streak.