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Olsen figures out Phils as Marlins hold on

Apr 8, 2007 - 10:29 PM MIAMI (Ticker) -- Scott Olsen may have finally solved the Philadelphia Phillies.

Olsen overcame a slow start and tossed five innings to lead the Florida Marlins to a 6-4 victory over the Phillies.

The lefthanded Olsen (2-0) entered the contest just 1-4 with a 5.53 ERA in six career outings against Philadelphia. He appeared headed for another disaster Sunday, as the Phillies jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first inning.

But Olsen settled down thereafter, retiring 12 of the last 15 batters he faced. He surrendered totals of three runs, four hits and four walks with three strikeouts.

"It usually takes me a while to get going," Olsen said. "If you look at my track record, the middle innings are better than the first three. It was just fastball location and not being able to throw my slider for strikes, and that was it. They did a really good job of making me go out and throw pitches."

"(Olsen) pitched his (tail) off," Marlins first-year manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "He had a chance for the wheels to come off after the first, but he battled."

The young Marlins have won their first two series this season and exacted some revenge against the Phillies, who went 13-6 against Florida last season.

"It's good for us," Olsen said. "Obviously, they did a number on us last year. It's a good start for us against these upper-echelon teams in the division that we're going to be competing against."

Four Florida relievers combined for three innings to set up new closer Jorge Julio, who struggled once again. The hefty righthander, who blew his only other save opportunity this season, recorded only one out while allowing the Phillies to load the bases.

Gonzalez apparently decided he had seen enough and replaced Julio with fellow righthander Lee Gardner, who recorded the final two outs to preserve the win and pick up his first career save.

"It was a tough decision, but ultimately we made the right one," Gonzalez said. "We've got to show our confidence in Julio. He's our guy, and we've got to get him right."

Gardner, 32, was appearing in only his 19th game in the majors. He has 130 saves in the minors, including a career-high 30 last year at Class AAA Toledo.

"It's been a long time coming," Gardner said. "I would have loved to have had it at age 26, but this is No. 1 other than my first call-up. ... This is big. This is a fun team to play with."

The Marlins rallied for four runs in the second inning to take the lead for good. Mike Jacobs opened the frame with his second homer of the season and Cody Ross followed with a sharp double which barely eluded right fielder Jayson Werth.

Rookie Alejandro de Aza halved the deficit with a sacrifice fly and Matt Treanor followed with a line-drive triple which landed just beyond the diving Werth, plating de Aza with the tying run.

"(Third base umpire) Gary Cederstrom asked me if I wanted the ball," said Treanor, who recorded just his second career triple. "I told him that wasn't very nice."

Olsen helped his own cause with a perfectly executed suicide squeeze to make it 4-3. Miguel Cabrera added an RBI double in the fifth and Alfredo Amezaga ripped a run-scoring triple in the seventh for the Marlins, who won the rubber game of this three-game series.

"That's why they call it a suicide squeeze," Gonzalez said. "At the time, we were looking to get the lead. It worked. Next time it might not."

The Marlins received a scare in the first inning when shortstop Hanley Ramirez left the game after suffering an injury to his right hamstring.

The reigning National League Rookie of the Year, Ramirez led off the bottom of the first with a routine groundout to shortstop. He pulled up lame while running down the first base line and limped off the field.

Ramirez was replaced by Amezaga and is listed as day-to-day.

Phillies rookie righthander Zack Segovia (0-1) struggled in his major league debut, allowing five runs and eight hits with one walk and two strikeouts in five frames.

"It was a great experience, and I am just going to build on it," said Segovia, who was optioned back to the minors after the contest.

Ryan Howard ripped a two-run double in the first inning and Werth added a pair of hits - including a double - for the Phillies, who stranded 14 baserunners to fall to 1-5 this season.

"Eleven walks and a lot of guys left on, we couldn't get a big hit," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "We will get them. When? That is the big question."

The reigning NL MVP, Howard entered the contest batting .158 (3-for-19) with no extra-base hits.