The Miami Marlins capped off the first half of the season with a resounding 7-3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Sunday, securing their best record at the All-Star break in franchise history at 53-39. Bryan De La Cruz led the offensive charge with a home run and three other hits, while Jesús Sánchez and rookie Dane Myers also contributed home runs.

Starting pitcher Jesús Luzardo delivered a dominant performance for the Marlins, striking out nine and allowing just four hits over 6 1/3 innings. He surrendered two runs before exiting after a brief exchange with Phillies batter Bryson Stott, whom he had hit with a pitch. Luzardo clarified post-game that the inside pitch was unintentional.

The Phillies played cautiously, holding star slugger Bryce Harper out of the lineup due to lingering right elbow soreness from being hit by a pitch the previous day. Meanwhile, the Marlins offense clicked, with every batter except Luis Arraez registering a hit against Phillies starter Aaron Nola and two relievers. Arraez's 0-for-4 performance saw his league-leading average dip slightly to .383.

First-year Marlins manager Skip Schumaker expressed pride in his team's consistent effort and positive clubhouse atmosphere. The Phillies, coming off a 13-game road winning streak, dropped the final two games of their series against Miami. Manager Rob Thomson remained optimistic about his team's potential, anticipating improved offensive production in the second half.

Sánchez's two-run homer in the first inning set the tone for Miami, followed by solo shots from Myers and De La Cruz and an RBI single from Jean Segura, extending the lead to 5-0. Myers, recently called up from the minors, has quickly made an impact with several multi-hit games.

Rule 5 draft pick Dane Myers, filling in for injured center fielders Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Jonathan Davis, reflected on the surreal experience of reaching the majors and the emotional moment of the national anthem. He also managed to retrieve the ball from his first major league home run, exchanging a signed ball with the fan who caught it.

Nola exited after six innings, having given up five runs and eight hits while striking out six. His final strikeout, against Joey Wendle on a pitch clock violation, marked the 1,500th of his career. Thomson attributed the Phillies' struggles to the Marlins' strong hitting performance.

Edmundo Sosa's two-run homer in the fifth narrowed the gap for Philadelphia, but De La Cruz responded with an RBI single in the seventh. The Phillies made a roster move, placing José Alvarado on the injured list with left elbow inflammation and recalling Andrew Bellatti from Triple-A. The unusual scheduling quirks of the season mean the Phillies will return to Miami for their second series in early August, shortly after the All-Star break.

Josh Harrison was a late scratch for the Phillies due to right wrist soreness from a slide in the previous game. Both teams now head into the All-Star break.