MIAMI (AP) — Bryson Stott homered into the right-field upper deck, Kody Clemens drove in two runs and the NL East-leading Philadelphia Phillies beat the Miami Marlins 5-2 on Thursday night to extend their winning streak to five.
In the first game of a four-game series, the Phillies (84-56) opened an eight-game NL East lead with 22 games left.
Ranger Suárez (12-6) scattered three hits over five scoreless innings, leaving after 82 pitches. The left-hander walked two and struck out four and overcame a poor outing in his previous start, when he allowed four runs and five hits in four innings against Atlanta.
“That is why I work the four days before I take the mound again,” Suárez said. “I forget the bad outings and create something new to be better the next time.”
Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Suárez was on a 90-pitch limit and he didn’t want him to start the sixth to face one batter.
“I felt he was good right there,” Thomson said. “Probably go to 95 or 100 next time out. He did his job.”
Bryce Harper went 0 for 3 with a walk, a day after he was hit on the left elbow by a pitch at Toronto and left in the third inning.
Matt Strahm pitched a perfect ninth for his third save.
The game drew just 9,355, a day after a season-low 6,156 for a walk-off win over Washington.
Miami dropped to 10-40 in games against left-handed starters.
“He’s tough to figure out because he doesn’t fall into any patterns,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said of Suárez. “The velo doesn’t matter if you throw it where you want it, and he was throwing every pitch where he wanted tonight. So there was a lot of weak contact unfortunately. Just couldn’t get anything going.”
Adam Oller (1-2) gave up four runs, five hits and five walks in 5 1/3 innings.
Stott hit an RBI single in the first and hit his 11th homer to double the lead in the sixth. Clemens hit a two-run double against Anthony Veneziano and scored on a wild pitch that capped a four-run sixth.
“You’ve been hearing since you’re a kid that hitting is contagious,” Stott said. “We just wanted to keep the line moving and get on base for the next guy. The more people you have on base the more holes are open. It’s big when you have one of those innings for sure.”
Jesús Sánchez hit an RBI single off Max Lazar in the seventh, and Clemens’ throwing error on Otto Lopez’s eighth-inning grounder to third allowed Jake Burger to score.
Before the game, Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Seth Johnson, a 25-year-old right-hander, will be brought up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to start Sunday in his major league debut. Johnson was the 40th overall pick by Toronto in the 2019 amateur draft, was traded to Baltimore in 2022 and was acquired by the Phillies on July 30 for left-hander Gregory Soto.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Phillies: 3B Alec Bohm (left hand strain) worked on defensive drills and was scheduled to take swings without pitches. The All Star has been sidelined since Aug. 26.
Marlins: Catcher Nick Fortes landed awkwardly on his left ankle when he legged out an infield single in the seventh. Fortes limped momentarily but remained in the game. … LHP Braxton Garrett (left forearm flexor strain) allowed two hits and struck out five over three scoreless innings in a rehab outing with Class A Jupiter on Thursday.
UP NEXT
Phillies RHP Zack Wheeler (13-6, 2.63) and Marlins RHP Edward Cabrera (3-6, 5.33) will start Friday.
