With last place in the NL East on the line and the offense in the midst of an epic slump that saw them go scoreless in their last two games, Josh Johnson threw a gem on Tuesday night.
It still wasn't enough, as the Marlins lost to the Philadelphia Phillies 1-0, giving them 27 straight innings without a run.
Johnson allowed a lead-off HR to Jimmy Rollins in the first and was then virtually flawless over the next eight innings. He allowed only three more base-runners -- two hits and a walk -- while striking out seven.
However, his one mistake was all Kyle Kendrick needed. The 27-year old has had an up-and-down 2012, with a 4-9 record and a 4.53 ERA, but he threw an absolute gem on Tuesday. Kendrick allowed five hits in seven innings while striking out six and not issuing a single walk.
The top of Miami's lineup -- LF Bryan Peterson, CF Justin Ruggiano, SS Jose Reyes and 1B Carlos Lee -- all had one hit, but they couldn't string an inning together. With the loss, the Marlins fell to 52-65, 2.5 games behind the Phillies.
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