The Philadelphia Phillies didn't just lose a game Thursday when they faced the Miami Marlins. They may have lost two of their marquee players. Kyle Schwarber left in the top of the ninth inning with left groin tightness and Bryce Harper appeared to injure his hamstring while running to first base for the final out. The Phillies are already missing J.T. Realmuto, but they have continued to play at an extremely high level with the best record in Major League Baseball. Philadelphia will continue to host the Marlins on Friday. In the 7-4 loss to Miami on Thursday, Rafael Marchan hit a solo home run and Trea Turner contributed two hits and three runs scored. But bigger than the loss of the game was the possible loss of Harper and/or Schwarber. "You're always concerned when you have to take a guy out of the game," said Phillies manager Rob Thomson, who offered no specifics on either player. "We'll have to wait until tomorrow." Harper said he hadn't "ever felt anything like this before" and that he would get further testing on Friday. The Phillies will hand the ball to left-hander Cristopher Sanchez (5-3, 2.67 ERA). In Sanchez's last start, against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he allowed three hits and no runs with four strikeouts and no walks. It was his first start since signing a four-year, $22.5 million contract extension. "Everything is down, down, down," Thomson said of Sanchez's location. "He's grown up since the first day I saw him." "Attack the hitters and execute the pitches where I wanted to," Sanchez said. "It's incredible to sign an extension yesterday and have this outing. I have to keep competing." Sanchez is 0-0 with a 2.38 ERA in three career games (one start) against the Marlins. Miami will look for its second straight victory when it battles the Phillies. Jake Burger homered, singled twice and drove in two runs Thursday. Bryan De La Cruz hit a single and double and knocked in three runs while Josh Bell added an RBI double and Ali Sanchez had two hits. The Marlins had issues scoring runs in recent games. Not in the series opener against the powerful Phillies. "That always feels good to do that," Burger said of his offensive output in a postgame interview with Bally Sports. "Frustrated with how the last few weeks have gone for me and not contributing more." After falling behind 3-0, the Marlins never stopped competing and came through against the Phillies' bullpen, one of the strongest in MLB. It had to be uplifting for a team that has struggled much of this season. "I think it was one of those really hard-fought games," Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. "Their bullpen is really good. I just felt like up and down the lineup we had good at-bats. That's how you score seven runs. It can't just be three or four guys." Burger agreed. "All of us, we're just building off each other," he said. "When we're playing Marlins baseball, that's what we're doing. We're not going up there with an agenda of trying to hit a home run. It's just pass the baton and keep going." Kyle Tyler (0-0, 4.50) is expected to start for the Marlins. He has never faced the Phillies. --Field Level Media
Jun 27, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) reacts after running to first against the Miami Marlins in the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports