Jose Fernandez solid, but Marlins fall to Phillies

MIAMI (AP) -- Jose Fernandez kept the Marlins in the game. He just didn't last long enough to help them get a win.

Removed for a pinch hitter whose sacrifice fly tied the score in the fifth, Fernandez watched the Philadelphia Phillies go on to earn a 7-3 victory on Tuesday night.

Delmon Young homered and Ryan Howard added three hits and three RBIs as the Phillies matched a season high with 15 hits.

Philadelphia took a 1-0 lead when Young homered off Fernandez with one out in the fourth.

"I was struggling a little bit with location," Fernandez said. "One pitch -- he got good wood on it. It was just a little bit over the plate."

Marlins manager Mike Redmond said Fernandez "worked hard" in his outing.

"He wasn't quite as sharp as I've seen him over the last couple of starts. He was grinding out there," Redmond said. "It wasn't easy for him, but he battled and gave us a chance to win."

With the Marlins trailing 1-0, Redmond opted to pinch hit for Fernandez with one out in the fifth and Placido Polanco on third. Jordan Brown delivered a sac fly to left.

Fernandez exited after throwing 79 pitches. He surrendered one run and five hits, walked one and struck out two.

"He was getting close to his pitch limit and at that point in the game, I thought he had done his job," Redmond said." If he had breezed through that game, he wouldn't be at 80 pitches. It would have been a much easier decision."

Fernandez's record remained 2-2 as the right-hander earned a fifth no-decision in nine starts.

"Every time I can go out there and give the team a chance to win and a chance to stay in the ball game, I'm happy," Fernandez said.

Tyler Cloyd (1-0) allowed two runs and eight hits in seven innings. He was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley (International League) earlier in the day.

Philadelphia went ahead 2-1 in the sixth when Domonic Brown's ground out scored Howard from third. Howard led off with a single and took third on Young's double to deep center off Duane Below (0-1).

Howard's single with the bases loaded scored two runs and highlighted a four-run seventh that gave the Phillies a 6-1 lead. Howard had missed the previous two games with a sore left knee that received a cortisone shot Sunday.

Young's ground out and Brown's double scored the other Phillies runs in the seventh. Young homered to left-center on a 2-2 pitch with one out in the fourth. It was his second home run of the season.

Juan Pierre's seventh-inning RBI single pulled Miami within 6-2.

Howard added an RBI single in the eighth off Wade LeBlanc.

Miami's Justin Ruggiano had a run-scoring double with two outs in the ninth.

Pinch-hitter Jordan Brown's sacrifice fly in the fifth scored Placido Polanco to tie it at 1 and take Fernandez off the hook.

NOTES: The crowd of 13,996 was the third-smallest at Marlins Park this season. ... Marlins RHP Kevin Slowey (1-4, 3.44) opposes LHP Cliff Lee (4-2, 2.83) in the series finale on Wednesday night. ... Marlins manager Mike Redmond said injured RHP Nathan Eovaldi (shoulder) was scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Wednesday before 60-65 pitches in a start with Class A Jupiter (Florida State League) on Saturday. ... Miami's Chris Coghlan tripled for the second straight game after going 121 games without one.