Phillies outlast Marlins for another one-run victory

MIAMI - These Phillies have defied logic for weeks. In this bizarro baseball world, where a 6-5 win Sunday over the Marlins is sparked by an eighth-inning rally that stars Emmanuel Burriss, Tyler Goeddel, and Andres Blanco, everything and nothing makes sense.

Burriss, the least-used player on the roster, had not scored a run in almost a month. He raced home from first base on an eighth-inning double by Goeddel, who had zero extra-base hits in his first 37 major-league at-bats. Blanco, a 32-year-old reserve infielder who has remade himself into a doubles machine, followed with yet another to score Goeddel for the team's sixth run. The Phillies had not scored more than four runs in their previous 12 games.

When the margin is at its thinnest, the Phillies have thrived. Somehow.

"It's good for us," said Aaron Nola, who allowed three runs in six innings. "It makes them much sweeter when we do win those close games."

The Phillies have played 32 games this season, 14 of which have been decided by one run. They are 11-3 in those games. No other team in the majors has more than six one-run victories. Call it luck, but the rebuilding Phillies are 18-14 with three games next against the worst team in baseball, Atlanta.

Miami had won 11 of its last 12 before the Phillies engineered two comeback wins in two days.

"Winning two out of three from this team, one of the hottest teams in baseball, is really satisfying," Phillies manager Pete Mackanin said. ". . . We came back. It really was a lot of fun to see. It's pitching and defense that keeps you in the games, and you never know what could happen."

For Goeddel, a 23-year-old Rule 5 pick who has played sparingly, this moment was his best yet. Mackanin decided he had little to lose by playing Goeddel more. The manager permitted Goeddel to bat in the pivotal eighth inning against a tough righthander, David Phelps. Goeddel drove a 93-mph fastball to the gap in right-center to tie it at 5.

He had been 5 for 37 with all singles. Goeddel's weakness has been a good fastball.

"Just getting my timing down," he said. "It's one of the most important parts of baseball. Getting those at-bats. I've been feeling better, but the results obviously haven't been there. I'm glad I was finally able to come through."

"He needed that," Mackanin said. "It was a huge hit."

Until the sixth, the Phillies looked lifeless. They stranded runners in the fourth and fifth innings. They fielded a lineup Sunday that featured one batter with an average above .257. Cameron Rupp batted cleanup for the first time in his career. Darin Ruf, who had one hit in his previous 19 at-bats, hit fifth. They both singled and scored in the sixth inning, helped in part by another Miami error.

The fourth Phillies run scored in the seventh on a harmless Cesar Hernandez grounder to first. Hernandez collided with Marlins pitcher Nefi Ogando, and both men crumpled to the dirt. Odubel Herrera alertly scored from second base.

After Andrew Bailey allowed two runs in the seventh to cost Nola a win, the Phillies rallied in the eighth. It started with a pinch-hit Ryan Howard walk. Burriss pinch-ran and barely grazed home plate with his slide on Goeddel's double. Blanco smashed a fastball to right to give the Phils the lead for good.

"Whitey, of course, he's special," Mackanin said.

"I guess," Blanco said, "I'm lucky."

Blanco stepped on second base and pointed to the sky. His grandmother died last week in Venezuela. Blanco, wearing high pink socks on Mother's Day, honored her with a silent tribute after a loud hit that sealed another win.

"I appreciate the chance to be able to do what I do," Blanco said, "something that's not easy, that I can't do by myself."

mgelb@philly.com

@MattGelb