PHILADELPHIA No power. No problem.
Not for the fence-busting Marlins, who failed to go deep in Philadelphia but managed to win the key series, two games to one, with an old-fashioned, grind-it-out 3-0 victory Thursday.
It was solid pitching, not their trademark long ball, that enabled the Marlins to slice into the first-place Phillies' lead in the National League East, cutting the margin to 1 ½ games.
''Right now -- 1 ½ games -- you're right there,'' Wes Helms said. ``You go to 3 ½ games [with a loss], and you've got to climb a little bit.''
Rookie starter Chris Volstad put the clamps on one of the most dangerous lineups in the NL, taking a no-hitter into the fifth and delivering six shutout innings before giving the ball to the bullpen.
''I didn't see any intimidation,'' catcher Matt Treanor said of Volstad, 21, who was experiencing Citizens Bank Park -- one of coziest parks in the majors -- for the first time. ``I didn't see any fright, or anything like that.''
The Phillies lead the league in home runs, with the Marlins right behind them.
But the fireworks show most expected turned into a big dud.
Philadelphia accounted for both home runs hit in the series, and one of those -- Shane Victorino's line shot Tuesday -- was a foul ball the umpires mistakenly ruled a home run.
On Thursday, Volstad's sinker had the Phillies making infield divots with ground balls. Only three outs were recorded in the outfield while Volstad was pitching, and no ball was hit deep by either team.
That was perfectly fine with Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez, who often has said that Citizens Bank Park and Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park give him ulcers.
''I like it this way better,'' Gonzalez said of Thursday's victory. ``That arena baseball is not fun.''
STRIKING FIRST
The Marlins struck first when Matt Treanor, fresh off the disabled list, stroked an RBI single off Cole Hamels in the second inning. Josh Willingham made it 2-0 when he drove in Jeremy Hermida with a double in the sixth.
The Marlins added their final run in the seventh on Hanley Ramirez's bases-loaded ground ball, and the 3-0 lead held up because of a strong bullpen performance by a cast of four: Joe Nelson, Arthur Rhodes, Matt Lindstrom and Kevin Gregg.
Although the Phillies got their leadoff batter aboard in the seventh and eighth innings, they were never able to push a run across and chip into the Marlins' lead.
Only one runner for the Phillies advanced as far as third all game, and that happened in the ninth only because Hermida and Dan Uggla bumped into one another on Jayson Werth's routine pop to shallow right in the ninth.
Werth ended up at second on the error, which was charged to Hermida, and went to third on a ground ball. But Gregg got Jimmy Rollins to ground out to end the game and give him his 25th save.
''This ballpark plays small, but good pitching beats good hitting,'' Gregg said. ``There are a lot of runs in this park when [pitchers] get scared of it.
But if you're going to be a good club, you've got to be able to pitch anywhere.''
All three pitching victories in the series were recorded by starters, who did not allow a run: Josh Johnson for the Marlins on Tuesday, Kyle Kendrick for the Phillies on Wednesday and Volstad on Thursday.
TERRIFIC JOB
''Volstad was terrific,'' Gonzalez said.
Volstad didn't give up a hit until Hamels lined a single up the middle on an 0-2 pitch with two outs in the fifth. Philadelphia produced only two other hits off Volstad, who was content to let the Phillies hit the ball into the dirt.
''I'm a sinker-ball, ground-ball guy, and that's what I was trying to do,'' Volstad said.
Volstad (3-2) was making his fifth big-league start. But he was coming off a pair of losses and a no decision in his three previous outings.
''This is definitely big, big for the team,'' Volstad said.
Now the Marlins head to New York, where they face the Mets in another crucial August series.
''This team's got the attitude,'' Helms said.
