Phillies fall to Marlins in series opener

MIAMI - The odes to and appreciations of Chase Utley - and the reminiscing of his greatest hits and quotes and plays - can go only so far in the 24-hour period after the seismic trade was completed. Eventually, the focus returns to the product on the field.

Thankfully for the good folks who put in deposits on season- ticket orders last winter, the Utley hangover took place about 1,200 miles away from South Philly and closer to the South Beach, where no one gives a darn about baseball.

Cesar Hernandez continued his strong play as the heir apparent to Utley at second base, banging out a double and a run-scoring single in five trips to the plate, but the rest of the game didn't turn out very good for the worst baseball team in all of the land.

The Miami Marlins, owners of the third-worst record in baseball, batted around in each of the first two innings, throttling Jerome Williams' pitches with relative ease in a 9-7 win last night at Marlins Park.

The Phillies have lost five of their last six games. They've dropped seven of nine since starting out on a 16-5 clip after the All-Star break.

The score was a bit misleading, as a pesky lineup and dependable bullpen managed to salvage a game that saw the Phils trailing, 8-1, after only two innings. The loss clearly fell on Williams' right shoulder.

"The 'pen picked up the slack, the guys were swinging the bats - it sucks," Williams said. "To have the performance I had when these guys are busting their butt out there trying to come back, I feel terrible about it. All I can try to do is make it better next time."

He opened up his 20th start of the season by allowing each of the first three batters he faced to reach base; all three scored. In his second inning - an inning he did not complete - Williams served up two-run home runs to both Martin Prado and Marcell Ozuna.

After failing to field a comeback from eight-hole hitter Adeiny Hechavarria with two outs in the second inning, Williams was mercifully pulled from the game. His final line was uneasy on the eyes, like a bad horror film, so try peaking through your fingers for this: 1 2/3 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 2 HR, 1 WP.

When there is internal discussion in the press box about whether that adds up to Williams' worst start of the season, you know it has not been a particularly strong season for the 33-year-old Hawaii native.

Williams has a 6.10 ERA in 2015 - and that includes his three previous starts, when he allowed a combined three earned runs in 18 innings. Needless to say, he couldn't keep his strong August intact in Miami.

"To me, it's always the same thing - up in the zone, poor location," manager Pete Mackanin said. "He couldn't make his pitches."

Williams' aforementioned ERA ranks third-worst in the major leagues among the 112 pitchers with at least 100 innings. The two below him are former Phillies named Kyle: Lohse, of the Milwaukee Brewers (6.11 ERA), and Kendrick, of the Colorado Rockies (6.43). Among that same group of 112 pitchers, none has a higher WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) than Williams (1.67).

At some time next month - if not sooner - it might be just as well to give struggling Triple A starter and former first-round pick Jesse Biddle a look in Williams' place in the rotation, if for nothing else but a change in scenery for all parties involved. Because the scene from Miami was not pretty last night, just as it has not been pretty for many a night in many a place Williams has pitched in 2015.

"His last few outings had been good - when he's down in the zone, hitting the corners, changing speeds," Mackanin said. "It's the basic formula of success for pitchers. Sometimes guys don't have it."

Lefthanded reliever Cesar Jimenez was designated for assignment following the game to open up a roster spot for 25-year-old righthander Jerad Eickhoff, who was acquired in the Cole Hamels trade and will make his major league debut when he starts tonight in Miami.

Blog: ph.ly/HighCheese