Phils Snap Losing Skid
Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Chase Utley hit a run-scoring groundout in the top of the seventh inning, helping the Philadelphia Phillies defeat the Florida Marlins, 3-2, in the opener of a three-game series at Sun Life Stadium.
Ryan Howard went 2-for-4 with a run batted in and Raul Ibanez added an RBI triple for the Phillies, who were blanked in three straight games by the Mets and had lost five in a row overall, a season high.
Philadelphia starter Kyle Kendrick (3-2) limited the Marlins to five hits and a pair of unearned runs over six innings. A throwing error by Kendrick led to the two Florida runs.
Chad Durbin tossed a 1-2-3 seventh, Danys Baez pitched around a one-out walk in the eighth and Jose Contreras overcame a shaky ninth to nail down his third save.
Chris Volstad (3-6) gave up three runs on seven hits and three walks in 6 1/3 innings for Florida, which has lost its last three games.
"I felt like I threw well against a good hitting team," Volstad said. "I made some good pitches, but it just didn't turn out the way I wanted."
Pinch-hitter Ben Francisco drew a walk to open the seventh for Philadelphia and was erased on a force out by Shane Victorino. Volstad was replaced on the mound by Taylor Tankersley after Wilson Valdez singled to right. Victorino moved to third on a double steal and scored the go-ahead run when Utley grounded out to short.
Contreras yielded back-to-back one-out singles to Jorge Cantu and Dan Uggla in the ninth, but fanned Cody Ross and retired Ronny Paulino on a fly ball to center to end the game.
Florida grabbed a 2-0 lead in the third inning courtesy of a throwing error by Kendrick. The Phillies starter surrendered consecutive two-out singles to Chris Coghlan and Gaby Sanchez. It appeared as though Kendrick was going to emerge from the inning unscathed when Hanley Ramirez hit a tapper back to the mound. However, an errant toss to first baseman Howard allowed both runners to score.
The Phillies got on the board in the fourth as Ibanez ended the offensive drought with an RBI triple, scoring Howard. Philadelphia had gone 30 straight innings without a run scored.
"We were all excited. We forgot what it was like [to score runs]," Victorino said jokingly.
Volstad struck out three of the next four batters, intentionally walking Carlos Ruiz in front of Kendrick, to strand Ibanez at third and preserve the one-run lead.
Philadelphia pulled even during its next turn at the plate when Utley drew a two-out walk, stole second and scampered home on Howard's base hit to right.
Game Notes
The Phillies had gone 38 innings without scoring off an opposing starter...Volstad has lost his last four starts...The start of the game was delayed 26 minutes because of rain.
05/29 01:06:43 ET
