Not even Mother Nature can slow down the red hot Philadelphia Phillies.
The Phillies defeated the Miami Marlins 4-1 on Tuesday despite a rain delay before the game began and another stoppage in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Philadelphia will now look for its seventh consecutive victory when it hosts the Marlins again on Wednesday. The Phillies have also won 11 of their last 12.
J.T. Realmuto hit a home run and a double and knocked in two runs, and Jean Segura added a homer and single in Tuesday’s triumph.
“That one felt good,” Realmuto said of his 409-foot homer in the fourth inning. “Anytime you take a lead with a homer, it feels good. It can take one swing to spark things and I was able to do that.”
The Phillies’ bullpen continued to excel as Jose Alvarado, David Robertson and Seranthony Dominguez combined to toss three shutout innings.
“We feel confident no matter who we bring in,” Realmuto said.
The Phillies will hand the ball to Noah Syndergaard (6-8, 4.02 ERA) for his second start since being acquired from the Los Angeles Angels.
Syndergaard allowed 11 hits and four runs in five innings in his debut with the Phillies against the Washington Nationals. Syndergaard is 7-2 with a 2.25 ERA in 13 career starts against the Marlins.
In Syndergaard’s opener with the Phillies, he came within one hit of tying his career high for hits allowed. But he was thrilled to change teams and suddenly find himself in a pennant race.
“Once I settled down, I was able to execute my pitches,” Syndergaard said. “It feels really good to get a win.”
The Marlins will look to even the series when they send their ace to the mound.
Sandy Alcantara (10-4, 1.88 ERA) threw his third complete game of the season in his previous start against the Cincinnati Reds. He gave up six hits with three strikeouts and one walk in nine innings.
Before the All-Star break, Alcantara lasted at least seven innings in 13 straight starts. After the break, he lasted just 11 innings combined in his first two starts before refocusing.
“Pitching only one inning in the All-Star Game got me out of rhythm,” Alcantara said after his last outing. “That one inning held me back a bit. But we are fine now.”
Alcantara has had quite a bit of success against the Phillies in his career, going 6-5 with a 2.95 ERA in 13 starts.
The Marlins struggled offensively in Tuesday’s loss, managing only five hits. JJ Bleday hit a solo home run, but no Miami player had multiple hits.
“I’m still learning,” said Bleday, who has two home runs through his first 16 games. “The main thing’s just been kind of getting on time, swinging at a good pitch and trying not to miss it. That’s what you get at this level. Pump that zone. You can’t make mistakes and you’ve gotta learn from it if you do.”
Miami rookie Charles Leblanc extended his on-base streak to start his career to nine consecutive games with a single in the second inning. Leblanc is hitting .419 during the nine games.
