Taijuan Walker threw 6 2/3 effective innings and tied his career high in wins as the Philadelphia Phillies rallied to defeat the host Miami Marlins 4-2 on Monday night.
Johan Rojas ripped a two-run double in the fourth and Bryson Stott lofted a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the seventh as Philadelphia opened this four-game series with a win. The Phillies had dropped the final two contests of a three-game weekend set at Pittsburgh.
Craig Kimbrel pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his 18th save.
Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez, who leads the majors with a .381 batting average, went 3-for-4.
The Marlins also got center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. back from an oblique injury. Chisholm, in his first game since July 2, went 1-for-3 with a double, a steal and a walk.
Jorge Soler gave Miami a 2-0 lead in the first inning with his 25th homer, but the Marlins couldn’t overcome the 10 walks allowed by their pitchers.
Walker (12-4) has won eight of his past nine decisions. He has also won five straight decisions against the Marlins, dating back to last year. On Monday, he allowed two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out four.
Marlins starter Edward Cabrera was wild, walking six batters in three-plus innings. He gave up two hits and two runs and fanned three, escaping with an inefficient no-decision.
Tanner Scott (4-4), one of five pitchers used by the Marlins, took the loss as Miami fell for the second time in three games.
Miami needed just six pitches to take a first-inning lead as Arraez singled before Soler slugged a 415-foot homer to left.
Philadelphia tied the score in the fourth. Cabrera allowed a leadoff single to Trea Turner before issuing his sixth and final walk, to Brandon Marsh.
Marlins manager Skip Schumaker removed Cabrera, and reliever Steven Okert retired Jake Cave on a sacrifice bunt. Rojas then drilled a 100-mph line drive down the third base line, resulting in a two-run double that leveled the score at 2-2.
Philadelphia took a 3-2 lead in the seventh thanks to a rally that started with Kyle Schwarber’s leadoff walk. Schwarber advanced to third on Alec Bohm’s double off the wall in right. After a Bryce Harper groundout and an intentional walk to J.T. Realmuto, Stott came through with his sacrifice fly to left.
In the bottom of the seventh, Miami mounted a two-out rally with singles by Nick Fortes and Arraez. However, reliever Matt Strahm got Soler on a fly ball just short of the warning track in center.
The Phillies made it 4-2 in the eighth on Bohm’s RBI single that scored Rojas, who started the rally with a walk.
–Field Level Media
