PHILADELPHIA — Marlins manager Clayton McCullough was ejected after a controversial replay review stripped Miami of a potential game-tying run in the seventh inning of a loss to the Philadelphia Phillies that kept the club three games behind in the National League Wild Card race.
Trailing by three runs, Miami loaded the bases on singles by Xavier Edwards and Agustín Ramírez and a walk to Otto Lopez. Javier Sanoja then laced a ball down the first-base line that first-base umpire Shane Livensparger initially called foul. Replay clearly showed the ball hit the line, and the call was overturned to a fair-ball double — but only two runs scored. Livensparger sent Lopez back to third base and Sanoja to second rather than awarding the third run, and McCullough was ejected after arguing the outcome. The inning ended one batter later when reliever Jonathan Bowlan struck out Leo Jiménez.
“Once they [called] out there, I can’t go argue a play that went to New York,” McCullough said. “My only point was that I get it, but with two outs, with the size of the lead Otto’s going to have there not being held on and going on contact, where that ball was going to end up, I think that he was going to score anyway. Just a little bit more frustration that you see the call’s going to get overturned and think what could have been.”
Sanoja made no effort to hide his displeasure. “It was frustrating to see a situation like that,” he said. “As division rivals, we understand the value of this game and just seeing the game [affected] by a situation like that is truly disappointing. I saw it right away that it was a fair ball. That’s why I was so surprised by the call. It landed right away in fair territory. All of my teammates were surprised.”
Lopez said he had no doubt about the play’s outcome. “I was sure that I was going to score easy because of where the ball was hit,” he said. “I know umpires have the hardest job in the world. I know that decision is tough. We just got unlucky.” Even Phillies manager Don Mattingly acknowledged the call could have gone the other way. “You know, it’s tough to just give them the third run when you don’t see the play,” Mattingly said. “But their guy does run good — Lopez runs good. But it’s hard to assume that he’s going to score from there and give them the third run. I wouldn’t have been shocked if they gave it to them, but I’m glad they didn’t.”
Despite the loss, McCullough credited his lineup for its work against Phillies starter Cristopher Sánchez, who had held Miami to just two runs in 36 innings across five meetings dating back to 2023. The Marlins collected eight hits and three walks against Sánchez and put two baserunners on in the second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings. “I did like that we stressed him and made him work,” McCullough said. “Had some chances and just couldn’t come through with a big blow there on a couple of occasions to flip that game in the early going.”
Miami began the week three games behind the Phillies for the final NL Wild Card spot and woke up three games behind San Diego for the last playoff berth after the Padres and Diamondbacks also lost. Lopez framed the rest of the series as critical. “Every series, we take seriously,” he said. “This one is big for us, of course, but we just have to continue to play hard.”
The Marlins face two-time NL Cy Young runner-up Zack Wheeler next, with lefty Cade Gibson expected to start for Miami followed by right-hander Tyler Phillips.