Starlin Castro drilled a go-ahead, two-run double in the sixth inning, leading the host Miami Marlins to a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday afternoon.
Since the start of July, Castro is hitting .324 with 11 doubles, eight homers and 34 RBIs. He hit just .245 in the first half of the season.
The Phillies, who are in playoff contention, lost two of three over the weekend to the Marlins, who are 35 games under .500 at 47-82. The Phillies are 7-9 against the Marlins this season, having lost seven of their past nine head-to-head meetings.
The Marlins beat Phillies starter Aaron Nola (12-4), who had gone 6-1 since the start of July before the loss. Even though the Marlins have the worst record in the National League, Nola is 0-2 against them this season in three starts.
Nola still posted a quality start Sunday, allowing five hits, one walk and three runs in seven innings, striking out seven.
The Marlins' Elieser Hernandez (3-5) was even better, earning the win and raising his career record against the Phillies to 3-0. He is 1-12 lifetime against the rest of the majors, yet he thwarted the Phillies on Sunday by holding them to two runs on three hits with no walks over six innings.
His only blemish was Rhys Hoskins' two-run homer in the sixth inning.
Ryne Stanek worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth to earn his first major league save.
Hernandez had retired 13 consecutive batters until there were two outs in the sixth. Cesar Hernandez fouled off two pitches before lining a long single off the wall in right on a 2-2 slider. Hoskins then followed with his 409-foot blast to left.
Hoskins entered the game batting just .116 with one homer and three RBIs in 20 August starts.
The Marlins came right back in the bottom of the sixth, taking a 3-2 lead. Bryan Holaday started the rally with a one-out double, ripping a first-pitch fastball. Pinch hitter Curtis Granderson walked, and Miami cashed in with Jon Berti's RBI single and Castro's two-run double.
From there, Miami's bullpen -- including Jeff Brigham and Jarlin Garcia -- combined to pitch three scoreless innings to seal the victory.
--Field Level Media
Philadelphia | Miami | |
Aaron Nola | Player | Elieser Hernandez |
Loss | W/L | Win |
7.0 | IP | 6.0 |
7 | Strikeouts | 5 |
5 | Hits | 3 |
3.86 | ERA | 3.00 |
Philadelphia | Miami | |
Cesar Hernandez | Player | Starlin Castro |
1 | Hits | 2 |
0 | RBI | 2 |
0 | HR | 0 |
1 | TB | 3 |
.333 | Avg | .500 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
Philadelphia | 4 | 1 | 7 | .133 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Miami | 6 | 0 | 8 | .214 | 5 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |