Marlins rally past Phils, open 1st 7-game series since '67

MIAMI (AP) — Starling Marte hit a tying, three-run double off Brandon Workman in the eighth inning, Jorge Alfaro singled home the winning run in the ninth and the Miami Marlins beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-6 Thursday night in the opener of a seven-game series, the longest in a major league regular season in 53 years.

The series includes three makeup games and two doubleheaders, replacing a series postponed from July 31 to Aug. 2 due to a novel coronavirus outbreak among the Marlins.

The previous seven-game, regular-season series was between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field from Aug. 31 to Sept. 3, 1967, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Phillies have not played a seven-game, regular-season series since Aug. 16-20, 1930, at the Cubs, a set that included two ties that ended because of darkness in the era before night games.

Miami began a season-high, 15-game homestand and improved the worst home record in the major leagues to 3-9. The Marlins were coming off 29-9 loss to Atlanta.

“It’s happened too many times and we’ve been through a lot,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “Every time it looks like these guys will fade, they show up and put up a W and keep it going."

Brian Anderson singled off Workman (1-2) leading off the ninth, and pinch-runner Monte Harrison advanced on Garret Cooper’s groundout and stole third on catcher J.T. Realmuto with a headfirst slide, a call by third base umpire David Arrieta play upheld in a video review.

Miguel Rojas was intentionally walked to set up a potential double play, Workman advanced Rojas with a wild pitch and Jazz Chisholm struck out. Alfaro grounded a single up the middle just past the glove of diving shortstop Didi Gregorius for his first big league walk-off hit, giving the...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Marlins-rally-past-Phils-open-1st-7-game-series-15558719.php