The Phillies would waste a four-hit effort by their ace, Cole Hamels, before Clay Condrey would come in to blow it in the eleventh inning, as the Phillies lose to the Marlins in extra-innings, 3-2. The Phillies would score the game’s first run in the first inning on a RBI single by Ryan Howard, scoring Jimmy Rollins, who has gotten on base earlier with an infield single, to give the Phillies a 1-0 lead. The Phillies would increase their lead to 2-0 in the third when Howard would hit a RBI double, scoring Chase Utley, who has earlier singled, all the way from first. The Marlins would cut the lead to 2-1 when Phillies’ starter Cole Hamels would give up a solo home run to Jeremy Hermida on a first pitch fast ball, Hermida’s twelfth home run of the year. That would remain the score for a while, although the Phillies would threathen to score another run late in the top of the seventh. Carlos Ruiz would start the inning off with a walk. After Hamels pops out trying to bunt him over, and Rollins then hit into a force out, third to second, wiping out Ruiz, Victorino would get on base with a double, sending Rollins to third. Utley would then load the bases after he is hit by the pitch. But Howard would end the inning by grounding out, second to first. In the eighth, the Marlins would tie the game as Hamels, who has been keeping the Marlins off-balanced via a nasty curveball, would throw his second bad pitch as he threw an 0-1 fast ball to Cody Ross, his sixteenth home run of the year. Neither team would be able to score in the ninth, sending the game into extra-innings. In the top of the eleventh, the Phillies threathen to score with two men out. After Pedro Feliz got on base on a Hanley Ramirez throwing error, he would go to second on a Ruiz single. The two would then move up a base on Marlins’ reliever Doug Waechter’s wild pitch. But that would be as far as they would get as pinch hitter Chris Coste struck out to end the inning. In the Marlins’ half of the eleventh, Clay Condrey would give up a lead off single to Alfredo Amezaga. He would then walk Ramirez, sending Amezaga to second. Hermida then follows with a bunt attempt to move the runners over, which instead becomes a single because Condrey appeared ready to throw to third, before he finally threw to first, too late to get Ramirez, loading the bases. Jorge Cantu then hits a single which bounces off of the scoreboard in left center field, scoring Amezaga for the winning run, giving the Marlins a 3-2 win.

Cole Hamels pitches another no-decision, as he is once again denied his tenth win of the year, although pitching eight solid innings of keeping the Marlins off-balanced, giving up only two earned runs on four hits, while striking out seven. Ryan Madson, J.C. Romero and Chad Durbin would combine to pitch two scoreless innings, giving up no hits between them. Clay Condrey would take the lost, giving up an earned run on three hits, getting no one out as he faced four batters. His record is now 2-2 with a ERA of 3.73. Josh Johnson would also get a no-decision, as he pitches six and two-thirds innings, giving up two earned runs on seven hits. Renyel Pinto, Joe Nelson, Kevin Gregg, and Matt Lindstrom would combine for three and a third innings of scoreless ball, giving up no hits. Doug Waechter would get the win, as he gives up no runs on one hit. His record is now 2-2 with a 3.35 ERA.

The Phillies’ offense would once again do them in, letting a starter off the hook in the early innings and then doing nothing for most of the rest of the game. This is really getting to be an annoyance as they are allowing it to occur too often. Cole Hamels unleased a rather nasty curveball that kept the Marlins’ batters off balanced, especially as he was starting off most batters with his junk, and not his fastball, which would end up hurting him as both home runs occurred because the batters were able to guess when he was throwing his fastball. But, if Hamels continues to use the curveball and constantly get it over for strikes, then he will be an even tougher pitcher for opposing hitters to face.

The Phillies will have the day off tomorrow before they start a three game series with the Mets starting on Tuesday. With the lost, the Phillies are once again tied for first place with the Mets as they have defeated the Reds in extra-innings. The Marlins are now trailing the Phillies and the Mets by half a game. The Braves are trailing the Phils and the Mets by six and a half games as they’d lost to the Nationals. The Phillies will now regroup as they play an important series with the Mets in New York, trying to defeat a National League East rival in a series who isn’t the Braves.