Phillies cough up late lead in loss to Marlins, lock up last place
MIAMI - At this point in the season, small victories are really all the Phillies can hope to achieve.
They showed up to Marlins Park on Thursday afternoon, for the road finale of the season, with the chance to avoid two things in one game: clinch a season that wouldn't finish with 90 losses and also avoid securing a final resting place in last place when the 2014 season comes to an end on Sunday.
Modest goals, sure. But reachable, if not somewhat insignificant. The Phillies haven't finished a season with 90 or more losses since 2000, also the the last time they finished in last place in the National League East.
Despite another strong effort from rookie David Buchanan, the Phils were unable to avoid do either of those things in Thursday's matinee in Miami.
Jake Diekman coughed up a two-run lead in the seventh inning - with an assist from fellow Nebraskan Cody Asche, who let a ball go through his legs at third base - as the Marlins stormed back to take a 6-4 victory from the Phillies.
The loss secured the Phillies first last-place finish in 14 years, Terry Francona's last season as manager in 2000. It's the 32nd time the Phillies have finished a season in last place in the franchise's 132 years of existence.
"Diekman was just off," manager Ryne Sandberg said of his top lefthanded reliever, who yielded hits to 5 of the 6 batters he faced. "Balls left in the middle of the plate."
The Phillies (72-87) can still avoid 90 losses by preventing Atlanta from sweeping them in the season's final series at Citizens Bank Park this weekend. Small victories.
Despite dropping their series in Miami - and finishing a lengthy road trip through the both Northern and Southern California, and South Beach, too, at 3-7 - the Phils could at least find a silver lining in the effort of Buchanan.
After Cole Hamels, there is little certainty in the rotation the Phillies will put together in 2015.
Cliff Lee started only 13 games this season and was last seen with an ailing left arm. Kyle Kendrick and Jerome Williams are free agents; A.J. Burnett could return through a player option, but has also heavily hinted at retirement.
For a rookie who was left unprotected for the Rule 5 draft a year ago, and who received a late invite to spring training this winter, Buchanan has at least emerged as a very strong option for a rotation filled with question marks. He allowed nine hits in 5 1/2 innings but didn't walk a batter and held Miami to just two runs, both coming in the first inning.
"He minimized, competed and hung in there," Sandberg said.
Buchanan finished his first big league season 6-8 with a 3.75 ERA. Among major league rookies with at least 100 innings of work, Buchanan had the seventh best ERA (and second in the NL, behind New York Rookie of the Year favorite Jacob deGrom, 2.63).
"The main thing is I'm very grateful, I feel very blessed to be here," Buchanan said of his meteoric rise to the big leagues. "Tonight I can lay my head down and finish my year as big leaguer."
Buchanan first jumped into the rotation when Lee was placed on the disabled list for the first time this season in May. He returned as a full-time member of the rotation in the season's final two months, beginning with Lee's second trip to the DL.
With uncertainty abound, Buchanan would appear to be a lock for a rotation spot in 2015, no matter how active the front office is this winter.
"I hope I made a good impression and hopefully I can take this into spring training and earn a spot," Buchanan said. "Six months ago I never would have imagined this was possible. It was my dream to be here. I was shooting to be a September. call-up. And then 2 months in I was making my debut. I'm thrilled."
When Antonio Bastardo took over for Buchanan in the sixth, and kept both of his inherited runners from securing, he didn't just secure the Phillies lead but he also kept the rookie starter's impressive streak intact.
Buchanan finished the 2014 season by holding the opposition to three earned runs or less in each of his last 16 starts.
It's the longest streak this season by any righthanded pitcher in the National League. It's also the longest such streak by a Phillies rookie since Bruce Ruffin also went 16 straight starts from July 32-Oct. 5 in 1986.
"Just competing," Buchanan said of his consistency, which began shortly after yielding seven runs against the Nationals in early June. "In Washington I had a big inning and than after that I tried to nibble, I started pitching away form contact. And that's when you start falling behind in counts and then start leaving balls over the plate. I got off of myself.
"Now I give up a few hits in the first inning, but it was still strike one, I still have to pound the strike zone and see what happens. The odds are always in the pitcher's favor. So I just wanted to attack the strike zone and see what happens."
