Field Level Media
Sep 12, 2020
Didi Gregorius slugged a grand slam to lead the visiting Philadelphia Phillies to a 12-6 win over the Miami Marlins on Saturday night.
In addition, Bryce Harper went 3-for-4 with a solo homer, double, three runs scored and two walks for the Phillies (23-20), who tied this rare seven-game series 2-2. This is the Phillies' longest series in 90 years, and the first ever of this duration for the Marlins.
Miami (20-21) was led by third baseman Brian Anderson's three-run homer and first baseman Jesus Aguilar, who went 3-for-4 with a solo home run.
But Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas, who leads the team with a .347 batting injury, was pulled late in the game. He tripped on his way out to start Saturday's game, hurting his right middle finger.
Phillies rookie Spencer Howard, staked to a 5-0 lead, couldn't finish the fourth, leaving due to a stiff throwing shoulder. He left with two outs in the fourth, immediately following Anderson's homer made it 5-3.
Reliever Heath Hembree (1-0) earned the win, pitching 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Miami starter Jose Urena (0-1), making just his second appearance of the season, took the loss, allowing five hits, four walks and six runs (five earned).
Philadelphia opened the scoring in the first. With one out, Rhys Hoskins reached on a fielding error charged to Anderson -- a tough chance ranging to his left. Urena then missed on eight straight pitches, loading the bases by walking Harper and J.T. Realmuto. Gregorius cashed in by pulling a 0-2 high slider over the fence in right for his seventh career grand slam.
The Phillies stretched their lead to 5-0 in the third on Harper's opposite-field homer.
Miami cut its deficit to 5-3 in the fourth. With two out, Aguilar singled, Matt Joyce walked, and Anderson pulled his drive that traveled 388 feet to left. Anderson jumped on a 3-2 slider.
In the fifth, Urena allowed singles to Harper and Gregorius before he was relieved by James Hoyt, who bounced a wild pitch to give the Phillies a 6-3 lead.
Miami cut its deficit to 6-4 in the sixth on Lewis Brinson's pinch-hit RBI double down the third-base line.
But that's as close as the Marlins got, and the Phillies poured it on by scoring five runs in the eighth. The big hits in that inning were Jean Segura's RBI single, Alec Bohm's RBI double and Kyle Garlick's three-run double, which gave Philadelphia a 12-5 lead.
Realmuto also left the game after experiencing reported hip discomfort while running the bases in the eighth inning.
--Field Level Media