The Philadelphia Phillies will be looking for a crucial win in the series when they host the Miami Marlins on Sunday afternoon.
The Phillies lost the opener 3-2 on Friday, but recovered for an 8-4 victory on Saturday.
Philadelphia (78-63) will look to strengthen its wild-card position in the National League with another victory over a team also vying to reach the playoffs.
Kyle Schwarber hit a three-run home run and Brandon Marsh ripped a key three-run double and a single in the four-run win.
Marsh’s bases-clearing double in the fifth inning turned out to be a clutch hit.
“I got a slider up and took my chance on it,” Marsh said during a postgame interview on NBC Sports Philadelphia.
“It was great to be able to control his at-bats day in and day out,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson added. “He doesn’t hunt.”
The Phillies let a 2-0 lead slip away on Friday, but proved resilient again.
This has been the case all season.
“Especially at home, we feel like we’re never out of the fight,” Marsh said. “It was a good rebound.”
The same goes for the bullpen.
Jeff Hoffman, Jose Alvarado, Gregory Soto and Craig Kimbrel combined to throw 4 2/3 scoreless innings on Saturday. The four relievers allowed a total of three hits, including six strikeouts and no walks.
The Phillies will pass the ball to Ranger Suarez (2-6, 3.91 ERA).
In Suarez’s last start against the Milwaukee Brewers, he allowed five hits and two runs in four innings.
Suarez is 4-2 with a 3.12 ERA in 17 career games with six starts against the Marlins.
Bryson Stott was hit by a pitch in the rib area but remained in the game Saturday. Thomson said Stott was under investigation and no immediate update was available.
The Marlins (73-69) will look to bounce back and earn a series victory.
Miami finished 1 1/2 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the third NL wild-card berth on Saturday.
Garrett Hampson homered and singled twice and Jazz Chisholm Jr. scored two singles. Jacob Stallings and Josh Bell each had an RBI double.
The Marlins fell behind 5-0, quickly closed within 5-4 but could not get closer.
Steven Okert (3-1, 3.44 ERA) is expected to start for the Marlins in what will be considered a bullpen game.
Okert has thrown 52 1/3 innings in 56 games this season.
In Okert’s career against the Phillieshe is 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA in 20 games.
Expect the Marlins to use a number of relievers in this final.
“Honestly, everyone in the bullpen is excited to get in,” left-hander Andrew Nardi said after Friday’s win. “Everyone wants to pitch. Everyone knows what they can do and what their job actually is. So when it’s their time to shine, they’re going to do it.”
Venezuelan left-hander Enmanuel De Jesus made his big league appearance with the defeat. Johnny Cueto only lasted 3 2/3 innings, and the Marlins turned to De Jesus, who pitched the final 4 1/3 innings to preserve the bullpen.
De Jesus, 26, allowed three runs on two hits and two walks, struck out three and hit a batter. He threw 78 pitches, 46 of which were for strikes. The three strikeouts are the most by a Marlins reliever in his MLB debut since 2012.
De Jesus, who pitched for Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, had a 4.97 ERA in 16 games with 15 starts in Triple-A Jacksonville.
— Field-level media