Paredes’ walk-off sinks Marlins in extras, hurts WC hopes

PHILADELPHIA — Arguably the most powerful active Major Leaguer returned to the Marlins’ starting lineup on Friday night to help propel them in the race for the National League Wild Card. But Giancarlo Stanton’s first start in more than a month was overshadowed by the 13th-inning heroics by the Phillies to sink the Marlins, 4-3, and drop them five games back of the Mets, who defeated the Twins.

The Phillies got the winning run 90 feet away in two straight innings, but it took loading the bases and the Marlins going with a five-man infield for them to prevail. Peter Bourjos, who led off the 13th with a single after entering the game in the 12th, nearly scored on Odubel Herrera’s single into center field but was held up at third.

“I was going as hard as I could,” Bourjos said, when asked if he thought he would score on the play.

Bourjos eventually came home on Jimmy Paredes’ pinch-hit walk-off single over the outstretched glove of Dee Gordon. Teammates chased Paredes into the outfield, ripping off his jersey.

“I’ll take it,” said Paredes, who will keep the torn jersey as is. “I’ll put it back in my home.”

Stanton played through the top half of the sixth inning and came to the plate four times, walking twice, scoring a run and grounding into a double play. In his final at-bat, Stanton could not extend the Marlins’ lead at the time, striking out with runners on second and third with one out.

Ryan Howard delivered the Phillies their first run of the night on a Statcast-projected 407-foot moonshot that left the bat at a 37-degree angle and nearly landed in the visitors’ bullpen. Cameron Rupp followed with a double, forcing Marlins starter Tom Koehler from the game, and scored on another two-bagger from the next batter, Herrera.

“Every loss is painful because you know where you’re at,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “It hurts you. It hurts if you have a team that cares and you’re playing for stuff.”

Added Koehler, who went five-plus innings and allowed two runs: “Every loss is major at this point. As long as there’s not a little ‘E’ next to us in the standings, we’re going to come out and fight.”

MOMENTS THAT MATTEREDCollision sparks inning: Had Phillies starter Adam Morgan not attempted to cover first on a ball hit by Gordon in the fifth inning, the Marlins may not have scored. Had Mattingly not argued for obstruction after Morgan knocked Gordon to the …

continue reading in source mlb.mlb.com