Harper, Phils get gift in 9th, send Miami to 8th loss in row
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bryce Harper got a gift double in the ninth inning when Miami left fielder Brian Anderson slipped chasing a flyball, then hustled home on Jean Segura’s single to send the Philadelphia Phillies over the Marlins 3-2 Tuesday night.
Edmundo Sosa homered and doubled and Aaron Nola struck out 10 for the playoff-contending Phillies, who rebounded from a poor road trip in which they lost five of six to the sub-.500 Diamondbacks and Giants.
Anderson drove in both runs for the Marlins. Miami lost its eighth in a row and has scored no more than two runs in nine straight games.
Harper had struck out in all three of his at-bats when he hit a high fly down the line in medium left field with one out in the ninth. Anderson ran a long way in pursuit and appeared to get there in time to make the catch, but stumbled as he neared the ball, which fell just inside the line for a double.
Tommy Nance (0-3) intentionally walked J.T. Realmuto, and Segura lined a single to right. Harper just beat the throw by Avisaíl García to send the Phillies into a raucous celebration near the first-base bag.
Segura threw his bat high into the air after the hit.
Nola reached 200 strikeouts this season, allowing one run in 6 2/3 innings. He has been one of the Phillies’ top starters in each of his eight years with the club, but has struggled at times late in the season with the Phillies in playoff contention — he entered with a 9-14 record and 4.60 in 33 career starts in September and October.
Nola posted his fourth 200-strikeout season. Hall of Famer Steve Carlton leads that Phillies list with seven.
The 29-year-old Nola didn’t allow a hit until the fourth, when the Marlins recorded three of their four hits against him and their only run. He gave up a leadoff single to start the fifth, then retired seven in a row before being lifted after walking JJ Bleday with two outs in the seventh.
Marlins starter Jesús Luzardo tossed seven strong innings, allowing two runs on four hits with nine strikeouts and two walks.
The Marlins threatened in the ninth against David Robertson (4-2), getting runners to first and second with two outs, but the right-hander got Charles Leblanc to fly out to end the frame.
The Phillies went ahead in the sixth with help from video review. Sosa led off with a double and went to third on a wild pitch. With one out, Alec Bohm lifted a fly ball to deep left. Anderson’s strong throw beat Sosa to the plate, but the run scored after review when catcher Nick Fortes was ruled to have blocked the base path.
Miami tied it at 2-all in the eighth on Anderson’s sacrifice fly off lefty Brad Hand.
Sosa homered off the netting adjoining the foul pole in left in the third to put the Phillies ahead 1-0. It was the first homer of the season for Sosa, a defensive specialist who was acquired in July from the Cardinals. Anderson’s RBI single in the fourth evened it at 1.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: OF García (left hamstring strain) returned to the lineup after being sidelined since Aug. 2.
Phillies: RHP Zack Wheeler (right forearm tendinitis) played catch off flat ground. Wheeler, who has been on the IL since Aug. 22, could progress to throwing in the bullpen if he feels good on Tuesday. … Right-handed reliever Seranthony Dominguez (right triceps tendinitis) and RHP Zach Eflin (right knee bruise) faced live hitters on Tuesday. Both could start rehab assignments soon if they respond favorably on Wednesday.
UP NEXT
Marlins LHP Trevor Rogers (4-10, 5.57) faces Phillies RHP Kyle Gibson (9-6, 4.48) on Wednesday.
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