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NFL draft pushes Marlins to Delaware for Phillies series

Jasen Vinlove / USA TODAY Sports

There was no vacancy for the Miami Marlins in the City of Brotherly Love.

With the hectic NFL draft taking place in Philadelphia on Thursday, the Marlins were forced to secure hotel accommodations all the way over in the quiet town of Wilmington, Del. for their three-game set against the Phillies this week, approximately a 50-minute drive away.

"It was uneventful, is a pretty good word," Marlins catcher A.J. Ellis said, according to USA TODAY Sports. "There's never really a bad off day. Regroup, recharge for the grind of the season.

"I don't know how I feel about (getting displaced by the NFL draft). But yeah, it's a bummer. I love downtown Philly. I love staying at that Westin. There's so much cool stuff to do around that area. Kind of bummed out we'll only get to (stay there) two times this year instead of three."

Skipper Don Mattingly, however, welcomed the temporary relocation's relaxing atmosphere, especially coming off a six-game road trip on the West Coast.

"It was a good sleep day (Monday)," Mattingly said. "A good day to sleep. Not quite as much to do in downtown (Wilmington) than Philly. But again, it was a good day to get some rest and get back on track to East Coast time from our trip."

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