"Jeremy Hermida is about as even-keeled as they come on the Marlins, rarely displaying emotion. But Hermida couldn't help himself Wednesday night. After he lined out to Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins with the bases loaded in the fourth inning, he slung his helmet in disgust, causing it to spin wildly.
''That was a pivotal point in the game right there,'' Hermida said.
It was the closest the Marlins came all game to producing runs in a 5-0 loss to the Phillies, a defeat that set them back a notch in the National League East standings.
About the only good the Marlins could take from Wednesday's loss was that they won't have to think about it for long.
They return to the field at 1 p.m. Thursday to settle the midweek series before moving on to New York to complete the road swing.
If they don't figure out a way to start coming up with key hits soon, it could make for a longer week than they would like.
The Marlins stranded 10 runners Wednesday, giving them a three-game total of 34 left on base.
''Maybe we're putting too much pressure on ourselves,'' Cody Ross said. ``It sure seems like the last two weeks we've been doing it [coming up empty in clutch situations].''
SANCHEZ STRUGGLES
Marlins starter Anibal Sanchez wasn't at his best, unable to deliver an encore performance that matched his triumphant comeback five days earlier.
Sanchez couldn't produce a clean inning of the five he spent on the mound at Citizens Bank Park, and he was his worst enemy in the second, when the Phillies extended their lead to 3-0 with two runs.
Sanchez dropped an easy one-hopper for an error, plunked the next batter with an inside pitch, gave up an RBI double to Eric Bruntlett (a .224 hitter) and allowed another run to score on pitcher Kyle Kendrick's ground-ball out on an 0-2 pitch.
Ryan Howard led off the third with his 32nd homer, and the Marlins mounted only one threat from that point forward, the deflating fourth.
''I thought Sanchy got better as he went on,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said of Sanchez, who was making his second start since returning from a 13-month layoff because of shoulder surgery. ``I think he got stronger.''
Sanchez went five innings, giving up four runs -- three earned.
More disturbing to the Marlins is their recent failure to come up with big hits.
They have not hit a home run in the first two games of the series at one of the most conducive power parks in the major leagues. And they are failing to cash in with any other variety of hits -- single, double or triple -- when they have runners poised in scoring position.
They were 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position on Wednesday, and that hit -- an infield single by Hanley Ramirez in the fourth -- did not produce a run. Ramirez went 1 for 5 and struck out three times."
Source
Marlins left stranded in Philly
Marlins left stranded in Philly
Linear Mode
