Miami Marlins surge to 5-1 win against Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park - MLB Update
Starter Joe Blanton gives up two home-runs as the Philadelphia Phillies lose to the Miami Marlins 1-5, at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in third game of the three match series on June 3, 2012.
Blanton threw six innings and allowed nine hits. He struck-out six and gave up five runs. Starter was the Phillies’ undoing, whereas their relievers did the fine job. Following six innings thrown by the starter, the remaining three innings were scoreless.
"You never want to give up five runs but I felt like it was a huge improvement over the way I threw the last two to three times, even though the results don't look much better," Blanton said.
Marlins’ starter Carlos Zambrano, on the other hand, was spot on. In little more than seven innings, he struck-out seven. As innings passed along with the Marlins enjoying lead, on no occasion the Phillies were given opportunity to bridge the deficit.
It was an all-round show by Zambrano, who not only pitched well, but also delivered on plate. He managed two hits in four at-bats.
"As a pitcher in the National League, you have to be able to bunt, run, hit and I take that seriously," Zambrano said. "I'm proud of what I do anytime on the mound. When I'm on the mound I feel like a pitcher, but when I'm in the box I feel like a hitter."
With 12 hits in the game, one can believe, the Marlins’ offence is moving in right direction. After falling to slump at start of the season, hitters have begun stepping up, during decisive moments of the game.
Short-stop, Jose Reyes starts making glimpses of his excellence a regular matter. With a sharp improvement in hitting over the last few weeks, he takes batting average and on-base-percentage to .278 and .357 respectively. He went 2-for-5 on Sunday.
Third-baseman, Hanley Ramirez is another player who has been a part and parcel of the Marlins’ historic last month. He struck a homer in the fourth and took his slugging percentage to an enviable .505 level.
While the Marlins will be making sure their momentum stays afloat, the Phillies will like to draw more hits from offence in the games to follow.
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