Marlins fall to Phillies in series finale 5-1

After a 17-hit assault on Saturday night, the Miami Marlins once again have trouble producing runs in a 5-1 loss in the series finale with the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday afternoon.

Despite a 12-9 loss on Saturday evening, you hoped the Miami Marlins had found a rhythm that would help them in the series finale against their National League East rival, the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday.

That was nothing more than a pipe dream. After scoring nine runs in trying to earn a comeback win on the road in Game 3 against Philadelphia on Saturday, the lineup managed just one run on seven hits in a 5-1 loss at Citizens Bank Park. It was the same old story of the lineup’s inability to score when it mattered.

Also, Pablo Lopez had an up and down outing that was highlighted by him unable to control his offspeed pitch, which the Phillies capitalized on.

The Marlins are now 8-20 on the season. Lopez took the loss and is now 2-4 for the year.

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“We always try to limit free bases — hit by pitches, walks, all those things,” Lopez said. “It came back to get me today — those two walks, those free men on base. Just try to limit giving those free bases.”

It was the sixth inning that did him in as he labored.

According to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com, “An errant breaking ball plunked Bryce Harper on the foot, and a poorly executed changeup led to a run scoring a wild pitch.”

Miami won the first game in Philadelphia but lost the last three games of the series. The lineup still has no consistency at the plate. The team fell behind 10-1 on Saturday night before rallying for eight runs before losing the game. There are still no answers to the team’s hitting woes.

Despite making a change in the coaching staff, letting Mike Pagliarulo go earlier this month, Miami still is in need of a big bat and more movement on the base pads.

Despite going 6-plus innings against the Indians in his last start, Lopez could not summon back-to-back wins.

“Disappointing after the first game,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “That’s pretty much the whole thing, for me. You win Game 1 of a four-game set, you should be able to get a split out of that if you pitch well.”

Now, the team heads home for a two-game interleague series with Cleveland that starts Tuesday night from Marlins Park.