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Phillies look to avoid ‘trap’ in Miami | Extra Innings

The Phillies will play a 3-10 Marlins team in a ballpark that has an average attendance this season of 9,577 fans. That could be a tough transition.

Sandy Alcantara will start against the Phillies in the opener of a three-game series in Miami.
Sandy Alcantara will start against the Phillies in the opener of a three-game series in Miami.Read moreGaston De Cardenas / AP

You might want to hold off on that summer vacation you were ready to book for July 2026. We received a slight distraction Thursday from thinking about Wednesday night’s blowout loss to the Nationals when we learned that the Phillies would be hosting the All-Star Game. But it won’t be for another seven years.

OK. Now back to thinking about Wednesday night. They lost by how much?

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— Matt Breen (extrainnings@philly.com)

Phillies need to avoid ‘trap’ in Miami

The Phillies returned to the clubhouse Wednesday night after being thumped, 15-1, by the Nationals and readied for their escape from the season’s first blowout. They flew to Miami immediately after the game, and they tried to move on as quickly as possible from two tough losses against Washington.

The Marlins have won just three of their first 13 games. They have the National League’s lowest run total, a slugging percentage that is more than 100 points lower than the Phillies', and the second-lowest Wins Above Average in the NL. After two rough nights, it seems an elixir might be waiting in Miami for the Phillies.

“I think this weekend is a little bit of a trap series for us,” Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said. “I think the environment will be a little bit different. I think we really need to keep our same level of focus.”

Klentak, doing his best Admiral Ackbar impression, has a point. The Phillies have played nine of their first 11 games at home in front of packed crowds. They’ll now head to Miami to play in a ballpark with an average attendance this season of 9,577 fans. That could be a tough transition.

“We’re going to turn the page quickly,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “We’re going to be ready for Miami.”

The ambiance of Marlins Park is not the only reason this weekend might not be as easy it looks. If the Marlins have a strength, it’s their pitching. Their starting rotation has an ERA, WHIP, and batting average against that are slightly better than the Phillies staff’s. They have racked up the seventh-most strikeouts in the NL and have thrown the ninth-most innings in the majors.

The biggest challenge of the weekend will be Friday against righthander Sandy Alcantara, who has started two of the team’s three wins this season and held the Phillies scoreless for seven innings last September. It won’t take long to see if the Phillies can avoid the trap.

“I knew that coming into this year that they were going to have some good guys on their staff,” said Phillies catcher and former Marlins star J.T. Realmuto. “I think they pieced together a decent bullpen as well, so we’re definitely going to have our work cut out for us.

"It’s a sneaky team. They don’t give ballgames away. They don’t have the best record right now, but their games have been close and they’ve been in a lot of games.”

The rundown

The All-Star Game will be coming to Citizens Bank Park in 2026 as part of America’s 250th birthday. It will be the first midsummer classic in Philadelphia since the 1996 game at Veterans Stadium. There will be an official announcement Tuesday afternoon at Independence Hall.

Remember when Nick Williams was frustrated with his role early last season and wondered if computers were dictating Kapler’s lineups? He’s back in the same situation this year, but his outlook is different. A breakfast last season with Kapler helped change that.

Miami appears to be even worse this season, so it’s vital for the Phillies and every team in the division to beat up on them, especially if the division is going to have at least one wild-card team,” Bob Brookover writes as he takes a look at where the Phillies stand entering the weekend.

Important dates

Tonight: Jake Arrieta faces Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara, 7:10 p.m.

Tomorrow: Zach Eflin pitches against left-hander Caleb Smith, 6:10 p.m.

Sunday: Vince Velasquez starts the series finale against right-hander Jose Urena, 1:10 p.m.

Monday: Phillies welcome the Mets for three games, 7:05.

Thursday: Phillies begin seven-game road trip in Colorado, 8:40 p.m.

Stat of the day

Tonight’s game will be Realmuto’s first time back at Marlins Park since he was traded this offseason to the Phillies. It’s safe to say Realmuto has not missed hitting at the pitcher-friendly park.

During his time with the Marlins, Realmuto had a .678 OPS in 260 home games and a .848 OPS in 280 road games. There was no home-field advantage during his time in Miami.

“I felt like some of my issues in Marlins Park were that I knew it was so big and sometimes maybe I tried to do a little too much and got out of my strengths, muscle up and try to hit the ball too far, which over time can really create problems,” Realmuto said.

From the mailbag

Send questions by email or on Twitter @matt_breen.

Question: I have a question about the strategy used in the 9th inning of the Phillies game the other night. This was the game that the Nationals tied in the 9th inning 6-6. McCutchen got on base to lead off the bottom of the 9th. My question is why didn't they bunt Segura. I understand that the Nats would have walked Harper but you still have Hoskins and Realmuto coming up with a runner in scoring position. These are your 4 and 5 hitters. It's not like you needed to play for a big inning. One run wins the game.

What surprised me even more is that I haven’t heard anyone question the move. Have we become so Kaplerized that no one even thinks of bunting in that situation? - Mike W. via email.

Answer: Thanks, Mike. It’s a valid question and something I’m sure the Phillies thought about. But I think they made the right decision by not bunting with Segura.

Here’s why: As you said, if Segura bunts, the Nationals would walk Harper to bring up Hoskins with one out and runners on first and second. You’ve now taken the bat away from your Nos. 2 and 3 hitters and given up one out just to have a runner on second base instead of first base.

Since 2017, Segura has had only four sacrifices, so there’s also no guarantee that he would’ve been successful. He leads the team in hits and is practically tied with Hoskins for the highest contact rate. He’s the type of hitter you want in that situation.

With that in mind, the right decision is to let him try to move the runner to second on his own instead of sacrificing the first out. If he singles, the Phillies would have runners at least on first and second with no outs and the Nationals would be forced to pitch to Harper, Hoskins, and Realmuto. That sounds like game over.

But we know Segura struck out. This is a situation in which you have to trust your process over the results. The process to that decision was sound. The result just wasn’t favorable.