Phils Go Quietly, Lose the First of the Day/Night Doubleheader
Adalberto Mendez pitched six shutout innings in his major league debut, and the Florida Marlins beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 7-1, in the first of two games Monday at Citizens Bank Park.
Mendez (1-0), 28, who has spent eight seasons in the minors with the Cubs and Marlins, allowed just one hit and two walks with six strikeouts before getting injured. He singled in the seventh, but strained his right quad running to first base.
Mike Stanton, mired in a 3-for-45 slump, went 3-for-5 with a two-run homer for the Marlins, who have won five of six. Dan Uggla added three hits, three RBI and a run scored in the win, while Chad Tracy also homered.
Vance Worley (0-1) pitched well in his first career start, allowing just two runs, six hits and a walk while fanning five in five innings for the Phillies, who remained one game behind Atlanta, which lost to Pittsburgh, in the NL East.
Jayson Werth's RBI single accounted for the Phillies' offense, as Philadelphia lost its second straight following a five-game win streak. The Phillies still lead the Giants by 1 1/2 games in the wild card race.
The Marlins tacked on a run in each of the first two innings.
Logan Morrison extended his on-base streak to 26 games with a one-out walk in the opening frame and scampered to second on a wild pitch. Uggla sent a two- out single to center, which plated Morrison when left fielder Raul Ibanez's throw was off-line.
In the second, Tracy led off with his first home run of the season for a 2-0 advantage.
Meanwhile, Mendez dominated the Phillies' lineup.
After allowing a two-out single to Brian Schneider in the second inning, Mendez retired nine straight batters before walking Wilson Valdez with two outs in the fifth. Pinch-hitter Domonic Brown, though, struck out on three pitches to end the frame.
Mendez pitched around a two-out hit batsman in the sixth before injuring himself in the seventh on a one-out single.
After Will Ohman came on in relief to retire the Phillies in order in the seventh, Stanton crushed a Chad Durbin pitch into the left-field seats -- a two-run shot -- for a 4-0 Florida lead.
Uggla's two-run double and Stanton's infield RBI single in the ninth capped the Marlins' scoring, and Werth's RBI base hit in the home half accounted for the final margin.
Game Notes
Mendez joined Josh Beckett as the only Marlins pitchers to throw at least six one-hit shutout innings and win in a big league debut...Florida shortstop Hanley Ramirez went 1-for-4 to extend his hit streak to 13...The Phillies still lead the season series, 7-5...Marlins outfielder Cameron Maybin was hit by a pitch in the ninth and left with a left knee contusion.
