Marlins 9, Phillies 7
MIAMI -- Third baseman Martin Prado and center fielder Marcell Ozuna each hit two-run homers, leading the Miami Marlins to a 9-7 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday night at Marlins Park.
The Phillies (47-74) have the worst record in baseball. The Marlins (50-71) are three games ahead of Philadelphia in the battle to avoid last place in the National League East.
Marlins left-hander Brad Hand (3-3) allowed four hits, two walks and one run in six innings. He struck out five.
Phillies right-hander Jerome Williams (4-9) gave up eight hits, four walks and eight runs in 1 2/3 innings.
Philadelphia loaded the bases with one out in the first inning but got only one run, on first baseman Darin Ruf's sacrifice fly. The Marlins avoided further damage when shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria threw out left fielder Aaron Altherr on a fine fielding play.
Miami came right back with a four-run rally in the bottom of the first. The Marlins loaded the bases with no outs and then cashed in with a wild pitch, a sacrifice fly, an RBI groundout and a run-scoring single by Hechavarria.
The Marlins added four more runs in the second. Prado's homer, his fifth of the season, came on a 91 mph fastball. Ozuna's shot, his sixth of the season, came on an 84 mph breaking pitch.
Hand left the game with an 8-1 lead, but Philadelphia got to Miami's bullpen, scoring six runs in the final three innings. The Phillies scored three times on five hits in the seventh inning against Scott McGough, who was making his major league debut.
Philadelphia added two runs in the eighth against reliever Bryan Morris. Shortstop Freddy Galvis, who had an RBI single in the seventh, blasted a run-scoring triple in the eighth.
Miami extended its lead to 9-6 in the bottom of the eighth when right fielder Ichiro Suzuki tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Prado.
A.J. Ramos gave up a solo home run to pinch hitter Cody Asche in the ninth but did enough to earn his 21st save of the season.
NOTES: Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton (fractured left hand) said he will return by Sept. 1. ... With 2B Chase Utley traded to the Dodgers on Wednesday, the Phillies have just $65 million in committed contracts for next year. Philadelphia's payroll was more than $165 million every year since 2011 before this year's sell-off of LHP Cole Hamels, RHP Jonathan Papelbon, CF Ben Revere and Utley. ... 2B Darnell Sweeney, acquired by the Phillies in the Utley deal, Sweeney made his big-league debut in the fifth, popping out to second base. ... Miami selected the contract of RHP Scott McGough from Triple-A New Orleans and optioned C Tomas Telis to the same club. ... Phillies RHP Jerad Eickhoff, acquired from the Rangers in the Hamels trade, will start Friday against Miami RHP Kendry Flores. It will be Flores' first big-league start and Eickhoff's major league debut.