The Philadelphia Phillies extended their winning streak to four games with an 8-2 victory over the Miami Marlins on Friday night at loanDepot Park. Ranger Suárez delivered a dominant performance on the mound, while Nick Castellanos and Johan Rojas provided the offensive spark with solo home runs.
Suárez, who entered the game with a sparkling 1.72 ERA, lived up to his reputation by tossing seven scoreless innings. He allowed only three hits, struck out nine batters, and walked two. His outing was a masterclass in efficiency and control, as he consistently kept the Marlins’ hitters off balance.
The Phillies’ offense wasted no time in providing Suárez with run support. Castellanos opened the scoring in the second inning with a towering 400-foot home run off Marlins starter Trevor Rogers. Rojas followed suit with an RBI single later in the inning, and then added a solo homer in the seventh to extend Philadelphia’s lead to 7-0.
The Phillies continued to pile on the runs in the fourth inning, scoring five times against Rogers. Pache doubled in Whit Merrifield, who reached on an error, and Schwarber drove in two with a grounder to right. Rogers was lifted after intentionally walking Harper, a move that drew a chorus of boos from the crowd.
Rogers, who has struggled mightily this season, allowed nine hits, five runs (four earned), and walked two in his outing. His frustration was evident as he slammed his glove on the ground and threw his cap in the dugout after being removed from the game.
The Marlins managed to break up the shutout in the eighth inning when Josh Bell doubled in two runs off Phillies reliever Gregory Soto. However, it was too little, too late, as the Phillies cruised to an 8-2 victory.
The win improved the Phillies’ record to 23-22, while the Marlins dropped to 19-26. The two teams will face off again on Saturday, with Taijuan Walker scheduled to start for Philadelphia and the Marlins yet to announce their starter.
