Phillies lose to Marlins, Gabe Kapler’s quick hook backfires as bullpen implodes for disastrous seventh inning

MIAMI — Zach Eflin had thrown just 89 pitches on Saturday afternoon when the bullpen door opened in right field. He had struck out the final batter of the sixth inning of a 9-6 loss to the Marlins, yet manager Gabe Kapler would push him no further.

The Phillies were ahead by three runs, but Eflin was finished. Juan Nicasio appeared through the bullpen door, jogged to the pitcher’s mound, and another loss would soon be finalized.

The Marlins jumped on Nicasio and Adam Morgan to score six runs in the seventh inning. Nicasio faced four batters, three of whom reached base. Morgan relieved him, gave up three straight run-scoring hits, and Eflin’s lead was gone. Nicasio and Morgan combined for six runs and two outs.

It was an ugly finish to an afternoon that appeared to be the team’s response to Friday night’s dud. The Phillies entered the seventh inning with a three-run lead. They left with a three-run deficit. Kapler’s decision to lift Eflin, who has been the team’s most consistent starter this season, backfired.

“We all thought that he was done,” Kapler said. “It was actually a little bit earlier that we thought he was beginning to struggle a little bit.”

Eflin, who has the eighth-lowest ERA in the National League, agreed with Kapler. He said he pitched without much feel for his slider and had to rely heavily on his sinker. He struck out three batters, allowed eight hits, walked one, and allowed three runs.

The Marlins tagged him for two runs in the sixth, but Eflin retired three of the next four batters. His spot in the order was not due up and his pitch count was low enough where the Phillies could have allowed him to start the seventh inning and then inserted Nicasio if trouble arose. They instead went straight to Nicasio, who had not allowed a run this month.

“Anyone would have said they could have went back out but my stuff wasn’t where I wanted it to be and where it needed to be,” Eflin said. “I wasn’t really missing too many barrels today. Even getting through six, they were hitting the ball pretty well even if it was right at people. I fully respect the decision to take me out.”

The Phillies will try Sunday to avoid being swept for the second time in a week by the National League’s worst team. Their four-game sweep of the Mets feels like ancient history. The Phillies have lost five straight games to the Marlins, who have a .583 winning percentage against the Phillies but a .253 mark against the rest of baseball.

The Phillies have goals this season to contend for a division title. But those goals seem lofty when they can’t pick up wins against the team that everyone else is beating up on. The Phillies have won just six of their 19 games and now trail the Atlanta Braves by 61/2 games.

“All we can do is turn the page quickly. Get ready to come out and battle again tomorrow,” Kapler said. “There’s no time to look backwards right now. We look forward and make sure we’re doing the little things along the way, that our process is strong, that we practice well and we’re going to be just fine. A lot of confidence in the group in that room.”

Scott Kingery hit a two-run double in the fourth and Rhys Hoskins hit his 19th homer of the season in the fifth. A night after relying on their starting pitcher for their only runs, the Phillies’ offense had come alive. But a five-run lead was not enough.

Eflin ran into trouble in the sixth when Neil Walker blasted a two-run homer to left-center. That was an indication, Kapler said, that the pitcher’s time was limited. Eflin stopped the damage and retired three of the next four batters. He may not have been dominant, but he did not leave the inning with his back against the ropes.

The final out of the sixth inning came against the ninth-spot in the order, meaning Eflin would have began the seventh by facing the top of the Marlins lineup for a fourth-time. That was a fight the Phillies did not want him to face. It would not have been the “responsible thing to do,” Kapler said. They instead called on Nicasio, watched the bullpen door open, and then saw a game slip away.

“Zach was efficient and he continued to attack but through the game, he wasn’t particularly effective,” Kapler said. “There was a lot of loud contact throughout the game. Didn’t look like he had his legs underneath him. We really felt like he did his job through six innings, gave us a chance to win that game. Didn’t feel like there was much left there.”