No Ser: Marlins 5, Phillies 4

Losing no-hitters is never fun.

Losing games in which you had a no-hitter is just another kick in the face. Ranger Suarez was so good for most of the game today, keeping the Marlins at bay before the ill-fated seventh inning saw the pitcher lose the no-no, then the lead before the bullpen finished it off.

Started out great!

After Kyle Schwarber reached to start the game, Trea Turner gave the team the lead in the first inning. In the third inning, Schwarber himself added to the lead, smacking his 43rd home run of the season.

All the while, Suarez was just cruising. He stymied the Marlins offense for six innings, looking very good after some talk started creeping in about his playoff rotation spot.

Then the seventh inning happened.

Suarez walked Bryan De La Cruz with one out, then allowed a double to Dane Myers to end the no-no bud. Yuli Guerriel doubled as well, scoring both runners and putting Miami within one. Matt Strahm was brought in to clean things up and looked good striking out Jazz Chisholm, but a walk to Jon Berti and a single to Nick Fortes made it a whole new game. In the bottom half, the Phillies were able to get the bases loaded off of failed closer David Robertson, but not being able to push anything across felt like a portend of doom.

It was.

In the eighth inning, Seranthony Dominguez was brought in keep it tied, but as we’ve seen all too often with Dominguez during the months of September, that would not be the case. A leadoff single to Josh Bell and a fielder’s choice that put him in scoring position made one feel queasy. De La Cruz sealed that feeling by bashing a ball into the bushes in centerfield that ended the suspense.

There was a bit of a buzz in the bottom half of the inning thanks to a one out, run scoring double by Nick Castellanos brought the Phillies within one. Two atrocious at bats by Edmundo Sosa and Kyle Schwarber against the closer Tanner Scott ended the threat. In the ninth, it happened again when Turner and Bryce Harper walked to start the ninth, but again, a double play and a strike out looking ended the game.

This was not a good loss by the Phillies. They need to make sure they’re winning series as they move forward and it doesn’t get easier with the Braves coming in, but they’ll have to figure that out starting tomorrow.