Phillies 7, Marlins 3
MIAMI -- Ryan Howard scored the tiebreaking run in the sixth inning and added a two-run single in the seventh to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 7-3 win over the Miami Marlins Tuesday night in front of 13,996 at Marlins Park.
Howard finished the night 3-for-5 with three RBI as the Phillies (22-24) improved their road record to 11-12.
Had the Marlins won, they would have tied a season high with their third straight win. Instead, the last-place Marlins sank to 13-33, including 2-6 on their current homestand that concludes Wednesday.
Facing reliever Duane Below, Howard started the Phillies' winning rally by beating the shift with a single to right. He reached third on a double by Delmon Young and scored on Domonic Brown's grounder to second.
The Phillies opened the seventh with an infield single by Jimmy Rollins and a bunt single by Ben Revere.
Reliever Ryan Webb came in and allowed Michael Young's infield single to load the bases with no outs. Howard then got a 2-1 pitch and smacked it out to right field to give the Phillies a 4-1 lead.
The Phillies tacked on two more runs in the inning on a run-scoring ground out by Young and a run-scoring double by Brown.
The win went to young right-hander Tyler Cloyd (1-0). The 2012 Class AAA International League Pitcher of the Year, Cloyd went seven innings and lasted 105 pitches, allowing eight hits and two runs.
Since making his big-league debut last August, Cloyd, 26, is 3-2.
The Phillies struck first. With one out in the fourth, Young belted a 2-2 pitch for a 399-foot solo homer to left field.
The Marlins' Placido Polanco hit a leadoff double in the fifth and advanced to third on a grounder to second base by Rob Brantly. Marlins manager Mike Redmond decided to lift rookie starter Jose Fernandez for a pinch hitter, and the move paid off when Jordan Brown hit a sacrifice fly to left, tying the score 1-1.
Fernandez threw 79 pitches, 52 of them for strikes. He walked one and also gave up a double and three singles in addition to Young's homer.
In 18 innings against the Phillies this season, Fernandez has allowed a combined total of eight hits and one run.
NOTES: Phillies 1B Howard, who missed Monday's game due to a sore left knee, was back in the starting lineup. Howard, who has $85 million remaining on his $125 million contract, missed most of last season due to a left Achilles tendon injury. The Phillies are hoping this is not the start of chronic knee issues for one of their key players. ... Marlins RF Giancarlo Stanton is scheduled to take batting practice Wednesday as he attempts to recover from a hamstring injury. He has been on the disabled list since April 30. ... Marlins RHP Nathan Eovaldi is expected to throw a bullpen session Saturday. He is recovering from a shoulder injury and could return by mid-June. ... Marlins RHP Henderson Alvarez, who has been out all season due to a shoulder injury, threw 20 pitches off a mound Tuesday. He is at least a month away from returning.
