Aaron Nola ended the first half in style, shutting down a powerful Dodgers lineup in one of his most impressive starts of the season and helping the Phillies complete a sweep of the National League team closest to them in the standings.
Nola struck out nine batters in six innings, including consecutive strikeouts of Shohei Ohtani, Will Smith and Freddie Freeman in the fifth inning. The only run of the night was a CBP special ball to Gavin Lux that just barely cleared the left field fence 329 feet away.
After struggling through the first two innings, Nola got going again after striking out Ohtani and Smith with the bases loaded in the top of the second. He retired 14 of the last 15 batters he faced, excluding Lux.
The Phillies won 5-1 and were 61-32 after the sweep, good for the best record in the National League, 6.5 games behind the Dodgers and 7.5 games behind the Brewers. This is obviously significant, since the team with the best record gets home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
“It doesn’t matter who comes or who we play, we just want to win,” said Johan Rojas, who scored a run with a single and had a key net gem late in the game. “No matter who comes, we’re going to end up losing the game or the series. The goal is the same, the World Series, and we’re going to win. We want to win badly. That’s why we’re here and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Powerful words. A powerful response from the entire team following this weekend’s series loss in Atlanta.
“Terrific. Mr. Constant, that’s what he’s been,” manager Rob Thomson said of Nola. “You could see it tonight, he struggled the first two innings. He just kept working and kept battling. He struck out Ohtani in the second inning, got a grounder off Smith, settled in and just seemed to get better as the game went on. He’s been pitching great all year.”
The Phillies quickly took the lead on Thursday with a solo home run by Trea Turner in the bottom of the first inning. The Dodgers used left-hander Anthony Banda, who had opened the scoring, to counter Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, with Turner taking a beating in the process.
Turner has performed well over his last 10 games, batting .452 with six home runs and 17 RBIs.
Brandon Marsh came out swinging hard in the second inning, smashing a home run to right field in the second inning and then hitting a triple to send Nick Castellanos home in the sixth inning, extending the Phillies’ lead from one to three runs.
Rojas sprinted into the gap in left-center field and extended his glove to block a long hit by Kiké Hernández, preventing a run or two in the next inning, and Matt Strahm broke Ohtani’s bat a few pitches later to end the top of the seventh.
Harper opened the door for a Dodgers comeback when he dropped a routine throw from Jeff Hoffman with one out and the bases loaded in the eighth inning. Hoffman loaded the bases with a walk and a single, but got out of the way by getting a liner-drive double play to second baseman Bryson Stott.
The Phillies did a great job in the series with Ohtani, Freeman and Smith, the Dodgers’ three most dangerous hitters going a combined 5-for-28 with 10 strikeouts and no extra base hits.
“I know they were missing Mookie (Betts), but I thought our pitchers did a good job protecting the top of their lineup. Those are guys that can really put up big numbers, so that was the key,” Thompson said. “Keeping them in the ballpark is the key, and I thought our pitchers did their job at the right time.”
Nola finished the break with an 11-4 record and a 3.38 ERA. The only pitcher with more wins in the major leagues is Chris Sale, with 12 wins. Starting pitchers continue to be a big dividing line for the Phillies. The difference between their starting rotation and that of their rivals is stark at almost every home game. Even powerhouses like the Dodgers and Brewers can’t seem to get through a series at Citizens Bank Park without using an opener or an unconventional starter. Phillies fans have questions about the fifth position, but most teams don’t even have a solid third. Sure, the Dodgers are missing Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto with injuries, but health and durability are also key factors.
The Phillies plan to start Ranger Suarez and Tyler Phillips in their final series of the first half on Friday and Saturday against the Oakland Athletics, who have lost 25 of their last 29 road games. Zack Wheeler will not start Sunday’s final game because of back spasms and will likely be replaced by a relief pitcher, but the Phillies expect Wheeler to be available after the All-Star break.
