• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Errors, Marlins deal Phillies' playoff hopes a blow

Sep 8, 2007 - 4:03 AM PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) -- The Philadelphia Phillies continued to throw away their hopes of snapping a 13-year playoff drought, falling to the last-place Florida Marlins on Friday night, 6-3.

The Phillies committed two costly errors that led to three unearned runs in a four-run Marlin second inning. That was enough for Florida starter Byung-Hyun Kim, who allowed just three runs while striking out seven in six innings.

"We had a couple mishaps today and obviously they cost us," Ryan Howard said.

Florida opened the scoring in the second inning. With runners at the corners, Cody Ross doubled to left scoring Miguel Cabrera. Mike Jacobs also came around to score as Pat Burrell bobbled the ball in the left field corner.

Following a walk to Miguel Olivo, Kim attempted a sacrifice bunt. Howard fielded it cleanly but threw wide attempting to get Ross at third, allowing two more unearned runs to score.

"The ball started slipping out of my hands and I tried to overcompensate and it just got away. One of those things," Howard said.

Burrell, who has 17 homers in his last 55 games, atoned for his miscue with a three-run blast to left in the third - his 26th of the season - to cut the deficit to 4-3.

Olivo answered that with a solo shot to lead-off the fourth inning, extending the Marlins lead to 5-3.

Durbin (6-5), who did not retire a batter and allowed seven runs when he faced Kim and the Marlins in his last outing, failed to make it through five innings. The righthander left with the bases-loaded and one out in the fifth inning. Clay Condrey came in and got Jacobs to ground into a double play to end the threat.

"You try and avoid the big inning and tonight it hurt us, hurt me, and unfortunately came up in the losing column again today," Durbin said. "I have to do a better job of pitching and executing pitches and I did not do it again tonight."

The Phillies bullpen, which blew an 8-2 lead in the eighth inning on Wednesday at Atlanta, allowed just one run on three hits the remainder of the contest. That came when Olivo doubled in Reggie Abercrombie, who was pinch-running for Jacobs who had tripled.

"Obviously we are not in a pennant race, but we still want to go out there and win," Jacob said. "We can play a spoiler but the bottom line is we want to win."

The Marlins kept the Phillies high-octane bats in check as well, holding them to just three hits over the final six innings. Justin Miller relieved Kim (9-6) and pitched a flawless seventh inning before giving way to Taylor Tankersley, who allowed a walk to Howard and hit Shane Victorino before exiting with two outs.

Lee Garder got pinch-hitter Tadahito Iguchi to fly out to center to end the eighth inning and Kevin Gregg worked a scoreless ninth for his 29th save.

It was the Phillies' fifth loss in seven games since sweeping the first place Mets in a four-game series.

"Sometimes you get in a little rut and you have to get out of it," Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel said. "Basically what we have to do is come out and win a game. If we win a game, I believe that will get things going for us again."

Florida, which owns a NL worst 61-80 record, is 9-7 against Philadelphia, and has won four of the last five in the series.

"It just happens like that," Howard explained. "Everybody has those teams that things don't go right and this is that team (for us)."