Instant Replay: Phillies 3, Marlins 1

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Pete Mackanin’s decision to use Tommy Joseph in the cleanup spot paid immediate dividends as the recently promoted first baseman clouted three hits, including his first big-league home run, to help lift the Phillies to a 3-1 win over the Miami Marlins on Tuesday night.

Phillies pitching struck out 17 Marlins.

In just his third big-league game, Joseph became the sixth different cleanup hitter to be used by the weak-hitting Phillies. Joseph started at first base because the Marlins used a left-handed starting pitcher. The Marlins will use a right-hander on Wednesday. Will Mackanin stick with Joseph or use Ryan Howard, his left-handed hitting platoon guy?

Mackanin gave Joseph a shot in the No. 4 hole because Phillies cleanup hitters entered the night hitting just .190 with a .347 slugging percentage and a .589 OPS, all major-league lows.

Vince Velasquez improved to 5-1 and lowered his ERA to 2.42.

The Phillies are 23-17.

The Marlins are 21-18.

Starting pitching report
Velasquez lasted only five innings because his pitch count soared to 103, but he pitched scoreless ball, walked two and struck out 10.

Velasquez has 59 strikeouts in 48 1/3 innings, which puts him in the NL’s top 10.

Miami lefty Wei-Yin Chen allowed three runs (one unearned) over six innings. He walked none and struck out six.

Bullpen report
Velasquez’s short night meant a heavy load for the Phillies’ bullpen, but it was up to the challenge. Elvis Araujo, Andrew Bailey, David Hernandez and Hector Neris combined on three scoreless innings.

Jeanmar Gomez allowed a run in the ninth but bobbed and weaved his way to his 15th save, the most in the majors.

Neris and Hernandez both had three strikeouts.

At the plate
Joseph homered off the netting on the left-field foul pole in the second inning. He singled in his next two at-bats. His single in the seventh got by Marlins centerfielder Marcell Ozuna and that allowed Cesar Hernandez to score from first and put the Phils ahead, 3-0.

Freddy Galvis blooped a double to lead off the bottom of the fifth and scored on a two-out, broken-bat single by Peter Bourjos.

The Phillies were outhit, 8-6.

Health check
Cameron Rupp’s left leg, which got banged up in a game-saving collision at home plate on Saturday night, has improved to the point where he’s available to pinch-hit, Mackanin said. Mackanin said he’d probably rest Rupp one more day before getting him back in the starting lineup Friday.

Milestone
With Rupp out, Carlos Ruiz played in his 1,000th game behind the plate for the Phillies. He joins Mike Lieberthal, Red Dooin and Bob Boone as the franchise’s only 1,000-game catchers.

Up next
The series concludes on Wednesday afternoon. The Phillies will send righty Jeremy Hellickson (3-2, 4.12) to the mound. The Marlins will counter with righty Tom Koehler (2-3, 5.14).

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