Alcantara, Holaday help Marlins edge Phillies

Sandy Alcantara pitched 7 2/3 strong innings, and backup catcher Bryan Holaday slugged a home run as the Miami Marlins defeated the host Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 on Friday night.

Philadelphia lost its fifth straight game despite an exciting play from Roman Quinn, who stole home in the third.

The Marlins beat Aaron Nola (6-2), who struck out 10 in eight innings, allowing just two runs, one earned. Nola threw strikes all night -- 82 of them out of 107 total pitches. He allowed six hits and one walk, getting nine ground-ball outs.

However, Alcantara (4-6) matched Nola's brilliance, throwing a career-high 112 pitches and allowing eight hits, four walks and one run. He struck out six and threw 75 strikes.

Sergio Romo pitched a scoreless ninth for his 14th save.

Holaday hit just his second homer of the year and the eighth of his eight-year major league career. He got the start because starting catcher Jorge Alfaro was placed on the seven-day concussion protocol after getting hit by the backswing of St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Marcell Ozuna on Thursday.

Miami opened the scoring in the second as Holaday pulled a 2-0 fastball for a homer to left.

Philadelphia tied the score in the third. Quinn chopped a double over third baseman Brian Anderson's head and advanced to third on Bryce Harper's single. With one out, Jay Bruce struck out, but Harper stole second. As soon as the throw went to second, Quinn broke for home, completing the double steal.

The Phillies loaded the bases in the fourth, but Harper flied out to deep right field to end the threat.

Miami took a 2-1 lead in the sixth. Anderson was hit by a pitch and went to third on Starlin Castro's hit-and-run single through the vacated hole at second. Anderson scored when Cesar Puello's grounder was mishandled by third baseman Scott Kingery for an error.

The Phillies put runners on the corners with two outs in the eighth. Marlins manager Don Mattingly replaced Alcantara with rookie lefty reliever Jose Quijada, who struck out pinch-hitter and Miami native Sean Rodriguez on a 3-2 fastball. Rodriguez swung through the 95-mph pitch.

Romo, pitching for the fourth consecutive day, closed out the Phillies in the ninth, getting a big out when Harper hit a drive that was caught on the warning track in center about 407 feet away.

--Field Level Media