PHILADELPHIA _ The Miami Marlins are beginning to believe the late innings belong to them. Lately they have.
Recent comebacks have led to an air of expectation that some way, somehow a winning combination will arise.
For the second consecutive night it took extra innings to get the job done. Like Tuesday, Christian Yelich delivered a clutch two-out run-scoring hit as the Marlins won for the fourth time in five games since the All-Star break, 2-1 at Citizens Bank Park.
This time Yelich put the Marlins ahead with a single, sending home Adeiny Hechavarria from second in the 10th inning. Hechvarria led off with a double and was in danger of being stuck at second until Yelich slapped the decisive hit to the opposite field on a full count against David Hernandez.
Yelich provided all of the offense, including his eighth home run in the fourth, the only run Miami managed in seven innings against starter Vince Velasquez.
The pitchers did their part to get the game to extra innings while waiting for the offense to get in gear. Reliever David Phelps got key inning-ending strikeouts to leave runners on third base in the sixth and seventh, the latter with the bases loaded.
It won't halt the attempt to acquire a starting pitcher for a playoff push, but starter Jose Urena turned in a commendable performance in his first turn in the troublesome fifth spot in the rotation.
Urena, summoned from Triple-A New Orleans, allowed only one run on a homer by Tommy Joseph and four hits in 52/3 innings.
The Dominican right-hander drew a tough assignment, matched against Velasquez, and dueled the Phillies' best starter to a standoff before leaving with the game tied 1-1. He recorded 10 outs on grounders and struck out five while walking one.
The teams traded homers in the fourth inning. Yelich, who had the game-tying double with two outs in the ninth Monday, put the Marlins ahead with a majestic drive off Velasquez in the fourth. Yelich, whose forecast power has been emerging lately, drove a 0-2 slider 447 feet into the visitors' bullpen, which is on a level above the Phillies' pen in right-center.
Urena gave it right back on a 422-foot shot by Tommy Joseph into the upper deck in left in the bottom of the inning. It was the second homer in two nights for Joseph, a rookie who has already hit three in four games against Miami.
But Urena went on to retire seven of the final eight hitters he faced, allowing only a bloop single to Peter Bourjos leading off the sixth. The 24-year-old struck out the final two batters he faced _ a tough pair in Maikel Franco (18 homers) and Cameron Rupp.
With Bourjos on third, Phelps came in to face Joseph and struck him out looking with a full-count cutter at the knees.
Urena, who lasted as long as five innings in only three of 10 starts in Triple-A, turned in one of the best outings by anyone this season in that spot in the rotation. Justin Nicolino, Jarred Cosart and Paul Clemens all failed to provide the answer. In 17 starts, they were a combined 3-6 with a 6.04 ERA.
"He really seemed like the best option for us right now," Mattingly said of Urena. "Obviously, we've been trying a number of guys at that fifth spot and trying to get someone to click. Jose is the guy.
"I don't know what he is at this level, but we've been working him as a starter in the minor leagues knowing we need starter depth."
Although unable to distinguish himself in 10 starts for Triple-A New Orleans (1-3, 3.99 ERA), he had some notable moments in relief for the Marlins earlier in the season.
He appeared in both games of a May 14 doubleheader, earning a win with three innings in the second game. He also earned his first career save with 12/3 innings at Los Angeles, including an escape from a bases-loaded jam in the eighth inning.
Based on Tuesday's effort, he may have earned another opportunity, unless a better option comes along in a trade.
