PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jesús Aguilar homered, drove in four runs and hit a go-ahead double in the ninth inning to lead the Miami Marlins to a wild 11-9 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., Avisaíl Garcia and Jacob Stallings also went deep for Miami, which has won six of eight.
Rhys Hoskins hit two homers, had four hits and drove in six runs for the Phillies, who lost for the second time in their last 12 games. This one was gut-wrenching for Philadelphia, which was trying to match its season best by going two games over .500.
After Hoskins broke an 8-all tie with his second homer of the game, a solo shot in the eighth, the Marlins capitalized against closer Corey Knebel (2-5) and Philadelphia’s shaky defense in the ninth.
Knebel, pitching for the first time since Friday due to right shoulder stiffness, induced a grounder to start the frame, but third baseman Alec Bohm’s throwing error allowed Miguel Rojas to reach. Bohm’s team-leading ninth error proved costly. Knebel walked the next two batters on just nine pitches to load the bases.
Garrett Cooper’s infield single tied the game at 9 and ended the night for Knebel, who exited to boos from those remaining among the 28,073 in attendance after blowing his fourth save in 15 chances.
Andrew Bellatti came on and induced a popup for the first out and looked like he was going to get another when Aguilar fouled a 1-0 pitch behind the plate. But catcher J.T. Realmuto dropped the ball for his seventh error and, two pitches later, Aguilar plated two runs with his hit to right field to give the Marlins a two-run lead.
All three Miami runs in the inning were unearned.
Tanner Scott pitched a scoreless ninth for his fifth save in as many opportunities.
Steven Okert (3-0) got the victory despite giving up the go-ahead homer to Hoskins in the eighth.
After the Marlins hit a pair of two-out homers to jump in front 4-0 in the first, Philadelphia scored the next eight runs and looked in control after Hoskins’ two-run double and Bohm’s two-run single in the fifth made it 8-4.
With the Phillies still ahead by four runs, interim manager Rob Thomson didn’t send starter Zach Eflin back out for the seventh even though the right-hander had thrown just 80 pitches and retired his last 13 batters. The move backfired. The Marlins got to the reliever duo of Jeurys Familia and Seranthony Dominguez with four runs in the seventh on two-strike homers by Stallings off Familia, a three-run shot, and Chisholm’s solo shot against Dominguez to tie it at 8.
After singling in the first, Hoskins hit a three-run homer to left in the fourth and then made it 8-4 in the fifth with his 500th career hit, a two-run double. Hoskins tied his career high with six RBIs in a game while connecting for multiple homers for the 11th time.
FOR STARTERS
Eflin allowed four runs in the first inning but blanked the Marlins from there. He gave up five hits and struck out four in six innings.
Marlins starter Trevor Rogers departed after walking six and allowing four runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Marlins: RHP Pablo Lopez (right wrist contusion) experienced some discomfort during a bullpen session and might be pushed back from his scheduled start on Thursday, manager Don Mattingly said. Lopez was hit by a comebacker in Saturday’s 7-4 win over Houston.
Phillies: LHP JoJo Romero, who had Tommy John surgery last May, struck out the side in his only inning of work for the FCL Phillies in his first rehab assignment.
UP NEXT
Phillies RHP Kyle Gibson (4-2, 4.41 ERA) is scheduled to oppose Lopez (4-2, 2.30) on Thursday to conclude the three-game series, though Lopez’s start is in question.