MIAMI – The Phillies took advantage of a strange error in the eighth inning to break their three-game losing streak on Saturday night.
Marlins first baseman Chris Johnson, who moved over from third base in the middle of the inning, dropped a potential inning-ending double play that would have kept the game tied.
The miscue allowed Odubel Herrera to score the game-winning run as the Phillies beat Miami, 4-3, at Marlins Park.
Trailing 3-1, the Phillies (17-14) rallied to tie the game in the eighth on RBI singles by Herrera and Cesar Hernandez.
Maikel Franco then hit a ball to third baseman Martin Prado, who tossed it to second for the second out. But Johnson flubbed a chest-high catch and was charged with an error as the possible third out fell from his glove.
Miami used a pair of solo homers by Marcell Ozuna and Justin Bour in the first four innings to lead 2-1, then added another run in the sixth on an RBI single by Ozuna, who drove in a pair of runs.
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The Phillies mustered five hits on the night.
First baseman Ryan Howard drove in Philadelphia's first run in the top of the fourth with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Herrera, who opened the inning with a walk and moved over on a single by Hernandez and a deep fly to center by Franco.
Brett Oberholtzer (2-0) earned the win in relief.
Jeanmar Gomez recorded his tenth save in 11 opportunities.
Long AB to start it
Pinch-hitter Andres Blanco worked a 12-pitch at-bat in the top of the eighth after David Lough led off with a walk against Marlins reliever Kyle Barraclough.
Blanco ended the standoff by curling a double into the right-field corner to send Lough to third with no outs.
Following an out, Herrera looped an RBI single to left to plate Lough and move Blanco to third.
Hernandez's run-scoring single to right tied the game at 3-3.
Starting pitching report
Philadelphia manager Pete Mackanin said before the game that Hellickson pitched either hot or cold this season.
Call Saturday night's start pretty cool – and not in the way that means slick.
Hellickson, whose game depends on his off-speed stuff, was snakebitten again by his nemesis – the long ball.
The right-hander gave up a long solo home run to dead center by Ozuna in the second inning. Bour slugged an opposite-field solo homer to left two innings later to give the Marlins a 2-1 lead.
The Marlins added on in the sixth when Ozuna grounded a single to left to score Christian Yelich.
Hellickson worked 5 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits and three earned runs. He fanned four and walked one in his 104-pitch effort.
Hellickson has allowed nine home runs this season – five this week.
Slide by slide
Lough led off the top of the third with a solid hit to right field, but baserunning soon took center stage.
Lough ripped a shot toward the right-field corner that Giancarlo Stanton cut off. The hulking Stanton then fired a strong throw to second that Lough beat on a head-first dive for a double, nearly sliding over second base.
However, with Hellickson batting behind him in the eighth spot, Lough raced to third after the pitcher pushed a bunt toward first. First baseman Bour's throw nearly nabbed Lough initially, but Johnson held the tag as Lough's left foot came off the bag.
Hard knock
Right fielder Peter Bourjos and catcher Carlos Ruiz prevented the Marlins from extending a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth, but the defensive gem came with some solid bodily contact.
Bourjos charged Adeiny Hechavarria's single to right with two outs then fired a perfect strike to Ruiz, who moved into baserunner Derek Dietrich's path.
Dietrich slid hard into Ruiz on the out to end the frame, and the catcher appeared slightly dazed following the impact. However, Ruiz stayed in the game.
The decision to wave Dietrich home was a bad one by Miami third base coach Lenny Harris.
Hechevarria's hit was a sharp liner to Bourjos, who was playing shallow. Yet with Christian Yelich - Miami's third hitter in the order – on deck, Harris decided to send Dietrich, who was out easily by a few steps.
Stopping a record
The Phillies' win prevented the Marlins from winning for the 12th time in 13 games, which would have been a franchise record.
Miami also entered the game having posted a 6-1 mark after Dee Gordon's 80-game suspension was announced.
Gordon was last season's National League batting and stolen base champion.
Up next
Sunday at 1:10 p.m.: RHP Aaron Nola (2-2, 2.93) at Marlins LHP Justin Nicolino (2-0, 2.70).
