Seventh-inning rally, overturned call help Phillies beat Cardinals

PHILADELPHIA — Rafael Marchán was out by a mile — until he wasn’t.

The Phillies’ backup catcher, playing in the first game of a doubleheader, served a single into right field, then dashed to second base when he saw Jordan Walker’s throw go to third. Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado caught the ball and fired a seed to second. After being doubled off at first earlier in the game, Marchán was gunned down at second in the bottom of the second inning.

However, replay review showed that shortstop Masyn Winn had not tagged Marchán, instead making contact with the batting helmet that had flown off during his head-first slide. Call that a heady play by the backstop.

The call was overturned, and that crucial development in Marchán’s baserunning adventure helped spark a two-run comeback in a 2-1 victory over St. Louis on Wednesday afternoon at Citizens Bank Park.

“We had a break there, for sure,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said.

Marchán went 2-for-2 with a walk, a positive sign for the switch hitter who entered the game batting .087 on the season. But he followed his first hit by never retreating on a line drive that was caught by center fielder Victor Scott II; the Cardinals threw to first for an easy double play.

The catcher did seem to work just fine with Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo, who tossed seven excellent innings and gave up five hits and a run while striking out six. The left-hander continued his eye-popping start to the year since coming to Philadelphia in a trade with the Marlins. His season ERA is now 2.00. He’s thrown 54 innings in nine starts, creeping up on the 66 2/3 innings he pitched last year as he battled injury.

“I thought he was fantastic,” Thomson said. “Everything about him. Command of his fastball. Change-up was really good. Slider was really good. First-pitch strikes. He attacked the zone. He was unbelievable.”

Cardinals right-hander Erick Fedde was sharp as well, limiting the Phillies to zero runs in 5 2/3 innings. Philadelphia did threaten in the sixth as Trea Turner and Bryce Harper drew walks against the starter to begin the bottom of the inning. But Kyle Schwarber, who snapped his 47-game on-base streak with an 0-for-4 performance, and Nick Castellanos popped out to the infield for the first two outs.

With left-handed hitter Max Kepler coming up, the Cardinals inserted lefty Steven Matz out of the bullpen. He struck out Kepler looking to finish the frame.

The Phillies finally put together some offense in the seventh while trailing by a run, as pinch hitter Weston Wilson hit a one-out single against Matz. Marchán followed with another hit, then advanced to second in an aggressive — likely ill-advised — move that nearly cost his team. It all worked out in the end.

“Obviously, it was a big call for us,” Thomson said. “He had a couple bad reads today.”

Leadoff batter Bryson Stott snuck an RBI single past second baseman Brendan Donovan in the next at-bat to score Wilson. Two batters later, with two outs and runners on first and third, Harper looped a single into short center field. It plated Marchán easily, but Stott was thrown out trying to score all the way from first. Another questionable decision on the bases ended the seventh, but the one-run cushion was enough to secure a win in the first of two games on the day with St. Louis.