Schwarber and Kemp go yard, Phillies blow late lead as Marlins stay alive in the Wild Card race

The Phillies managed to take a game they should’ve had won but instead, crashed straight into the Delaware River. Cristopher Sánchez was brilliant.

The Phillies ace tossed seven shutout innings and notched his 500th career strikeout, exiting the game with a 3-0 lead. Unfortunately, the bullpen came took over and handed the Marlins a season lifeline.

Griffin Conine started Miami’s comeback in the eighth with a solo shot off David Robertson. Heriberto Hernández tied it in the ninth with a no-doubter off Jhoan Duran, who has looked anything but automatic lately.

Then in the 11th, Xavier Edwards hit the softest of daggers on a sac fly to give Miami a 6-5 win. Lou Trivino took the loss but really it was a team effort meltdown from the bullpen.

The Phillies offense did its part early.

Kyle Schwarber hit his NL-leading 54th home run in the first inning to put him just four shy of Ryan Howard’s single-season franchise record.

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Otto Kemp, filling in at first for Bryce Harper (out sick), added a 2-run shot as well but that was about it after the fifth inning.

h-O-T-T-O-g-o pic.twitter.com/HxuCN2YS89

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 23, 2025

The Marlins, meanwhile, are acting like they’ve got nine lives. They’ve now won seven straight and 11 of their last 12, clawing to within four games of the final wild-card spot with five to go.

NL Wild Card Standings

Already locked into October, the Phillies have now dropped three straight and are playing like a team that just wants to get the regular season over with. The Brewers have also dropped three straight, so we’re still 2.5 games back in the race for the top seed in the NL with just five games remaining.

So yeah, Cristopher Sánchez did everything right. Kyle Schwarber keeps chasing history, but the bullpen handed away another one. It is what it is. Back at it today.

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