What looked like a breezy Sunday at Citizens Bank Park turned into a stomach-churning reminder that no win is guaranteed until the final out. The Philadelphia Phillies squandered a three-run lead late, losing 7-5 in 12 innings to the Miami Marlins and capping a 4-3 homestand with a bitter taste.The Phillies had all the ingredients for a sweep: sunshine, a red-hot offense, birthday celebrations for the Phanatic, and another stellar outing from Jesús Luzardo, who went seven strong innings, allowing just two runs (one earned). But it all unraveled in the eighth when reliever Orion Kerkering gave up a back-breaking three-run home run to Javier Sanoja, his first career long ball, giving the Marlins their first lead of the series.
“It’s just that one pitch,” Kerkering said. “That’s all it really was. They had a good game plan against me.”
Kerkering’s normally reliable sweeper missed its mark, catching too much of the plate, and Sanoja didn’t miss. The Phillies’ bullpen has now blown six saves on the young season—most in the majors—and continues to be a sore spot despite solid performances from the rotation, which entered Sunday with a 3.59 ERA.
Phillies blow a late lead, fall to the Marlins on Easter Sunday
Manager Rob Thomson kept his cool postgame, refusing to panic despite mounting frustrations from fans and media alike.
“This one is gone,” Thomson said. “It’s in the past. We can’t control what we did today, we just gotta move forward and control what we can control.”
Still, the Phillies’ inability to finish off the sweep sparked fiery commentary from local broadcasters. NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Michael Barkann and Ricky Bottalico didn’t hold back.
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“If the Phillies should fail to win the division or secure home field, look at this game right here,” Barkann said. “4-1 into the seventh, and they didn’t do what they needed to do.”
Bottalico echoed the sentiment, criticizing the team for not putting away a weaker opponent.
“This Marlins team is horrible,” he said. “You’ve got to step on somebody’s head and don’t let them up.”
The loss overshadowed what had been a promising offensive stretch. The top of the order—Bryson Stott, Trea Turner, and Bryce Harper—continued to thrive, combining for 15 hits, 11 RBIs, and seven walks over the weekend. Kyle Schwarber extended his on-base streak to 28 games, while Nick Castellanos pushed his average above .300.
Yet the positives couldn’t outweigh the bullpen’s breakdown. Despite Thomson’s reassurances that “we’ve got the pieces to get it done,” the Phillies’ relief corps ranks 28th in ERA, and their inability to hold late leads is becoming a troubling pattern. As the Phillies (13-9) gear up for a key series against the division-leading Mets (15-7), the bullpen’s resilience will be tested again. Thomson remains confident, but patience might be running thin.
“It’s just part of the season,” he said. “I think that will even itself out over time. They’re a pretty resilient group.” Time will tell. But after Sunday’s meltdown, the margin for error is already tightening.
