Marlins close out rare seven-game set with Phillies in style

Pablo Lopez allowed one run in seven innings with the help of flashy defense by right fielder Matt Joyce, and the Miami Marlins won Game 7 of their marathon series against Philadelphia on Monday, 6-2.

The series in Miami, the majors’ longest in the regular season in 53 years, included three makeup games and two doubleheaders. The Marlins won five of the seven games, including the final three, to move into second place in the NL East, 1 1/2 games ahead of Philadelphia.

Lopez (4-4) bounced back from his worst outing of the year by allowing only three hits and retiring his final 13 batters. He was helped by not one but two over-the-shoulder basket catches on the warning track by a retreating Joyce, who robbed Scott Kingery and Jean Segura.

The only run Lopez allowed came on Andrew McCutchen’s seventh homer to start the game. Philadelphia totaled four hits without J.T. Realmuto and Rhys Hoskins, both nursing injuries.

Jesus Aguilar put the Marlins ahead with a two-run double in the third. Miguel Rojas hit his third home run and Starling Marte added his fifth, both off David Phelps.

Kingery, reinstated from the injured list before the game, hit his second homer. Phils catcher Rafael Marchan made his major league debut and went 1 for 3.

Vince Velasquez (0-1) allowed four runs in 3 2/3 innings, and his ERA rose to 6.46.

BREWERS 2, CARDINALS 1 >> Keston Hiura hit a sacrifice fly to score Avisail Garcia with the winning run in the eighth inning as Milwaukee rallied to edge St. Louis in the opening game of a doubleheader.

Milwaukee’s rally in the eighth snapped the Brewers’ string of 21 consecutive scoreless innings. Chicago Cubs right-hander Alec Mills threw a no-hitter against them Sunday in a 12-0 blowout. Monday’s doubleheader opened a three-day, five-game series.

REDS SWEEP PIRATES >> Rookie Tyler Stephenson hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning, lifting Cincinnati to a 3-1 win over Pittsburgh in the opener of a doubleheader. The Reds took the second game 9-4.

With two out and the bases empty, rookie Jose Garcia singled to left against Sam Howard (2-2). Manager David Bell then sent Stephenson up to hit for Shogo Akiyama, and the young catcher hit a drive to left for his second homer. Trevor Bauer and the Reds carried a 1-0 lead into the seventh, but Colin Moran led off with his eighth homer.

ORIOLES 14, BRAVES 1 >> DJ Stewart hit the first of three Baltimore homers in a nine-run third inning, and the Orioles pounded Atlanta to end a five-game losing streak.

After winning three of four in Washington to extend their NL East lead to a season-high 3 1/2 games, the Braves were handed their most lopsided defeat of the year.