Stat Wrap 7/21: Marlins Pound Phillies, Koehler Huge

After the first three games of this series, Thursday night’s offensive effort came across like a thunderclap.

The Miami Marlins rattled off as many hits-thirteen-as there had been total runs scored in the series to that point, crushing the Philadelphia Phillies in a 9-3 victory at Citizens Bank Park.

The only common denominator in this one with the rest of the set was that it featured at least one stellar pitching performance, as Tom Koehler tossed eight strong innings in his most effective start in over a month.  He even added an RBI to the cause, on a night where all nine starting Marlins recorded a hit.  The win puts the Fish back at nine games over .500, and just 4.5 games out of first in the NL East.

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That the Marlins put up such a number on the scoreboard with both J.T. Realmuto and Giancarlo Stanton taking the night off is nothing short of impressive, but is hardly the major takeaway in the contest.  That honor goes to Koehler, who after a string of four less than stellar efforts, returned to the form he displayed while accumulating nine straight starts of pitching into the 6th inning while allowing 3 ER or less.  Make no mistake, with Chen struggling, the Marlins need Koehler to do what he does when he’s at his best: keep the team in the game, spare the bullpen as much as possible, and occasionally play above himself at a dominant level.

It’s that kind of effort that will help this compete with the seasoned likes of the Cardinals, Dodgers, Mets, and Pirates.  For a sharp Koehler stretches the rotation, and helps provide management with the confidence that this team is worth of the cost of adding on to.

And, of course, there’s one more story worth noting.  With Stanton resting, Ichiro Suzuki was in action in his place.  Chalk up two more hits for the baseball legend, and put him down just four shy of 3000.  Be sure to turn out in droves this homestand.

And now we Stat Wrap:

• Ichiro Watch: Two hit night, 2996 on the career, four shy of 3000.
• Tom Koehler’s night: 8 IP, 1 ER, 2 H for his first earned win in a month.
• The Marlins outhit the Phillies by 13, their largest edge of the season.
• Every Marlin in the starting lineup had at least one hit.
• The 9 RBIs were the highest tally by the team since June 25th.
• That six-run margin of victory was the largest since June 13th.
• And it came with no Giancarlo Stanton or J.T. Realmuto.
• Derek Dietrich continued to snap his slump with a 3 for 4 night.
• Christian Yelich matched his career high in homers with his 9th HR of the season.