Aaron Nola hit a home run in the first half to shut down the Dodgers’ lineup and help the Phillies close out a close second in the National League standings in his most impressive start to the season.
Nola struck out a killer row of Shohei Otani, Will Smith and Freddie Freeman over six innings after allowing his only run of the night on a CBP special to Gavin Lux in the fifth. Wall 329 feet away.
The first two innings were a grind, but he got the bases loaded to end the top of the second after Nola Ohtani and Smith retired. He made 14 of the 15 shots he faced, all but Lux.
The Phillies went 5-1, and are 61-32 after the win, 6½ games ahead of the Dodgers and 7½ games ahead of the Brewers for the National League’s best record. This has an obvious advantage in the playoffs with the team having the home field advantage against the team with the higher record.
“We don’t care who’s coming, we don’t care who we’re playing, we’re going to beat them,” said Johan Rojas, who singled and drove in a run. “Anyone can come here and end up losing games or series. We’re going to go out and win the same way as the World Series. We’re hungry to win, that’s what we’re here for.
Strong words. A strong team-wide response to the weekend’s series loss in Atlanta.
“Wonderful. Mr. Consistency, that’s what he was,” manager Rob Thompson said of Nola. “They will look at tonight’s game and the first two innings with difficulty. He just keeps grinding and fighting. There, in the second inning, he hit Ohtani and got a passed ball from Smith and then he settled down and I thought he got better as the game went on. It’s flexible all year round.”
The Phillies took a quick lead Thursday on Trey Turner’s opposite-field solo home run in the bottom of the first. The Dodgers used starters Kyle Schwarber and lefty Anthony Banda to battle Bryce Harper and Turner.
Turner is hitting .452 with six home runs and 17 RBI over these last 10 games.
Brandon Marsh hit a two-swing homer to right in the second inning and tripled off Nick Castellanos to extend the Phillies’ lead to three in the sixth inning.
Rojas stepped into the gap in left center, extended his glove and robbed Kiki Hernandez of extra bases to save one run and possibly the next half inning. Matt Strahm broke two bunts off the bat of Otani to end the top of the seventh.
Harper opened the door for the Dodgers’ rally with one out off a routine throw from Jeff Hoffman with nobody out in the eighth. Hoffman loaded the bases with a walk and a single but eluded a line-drive double play to second baseman Bryson Stott.
The Phillies have done impressive work on Otani, Freeman and Smith in the series. The Dodgers’ three most dangerous hitters went a combined 5-for-28 with 10 hits and no extra bases.
“I know they’re missing Mookie (Betts), but I thought our pitchers took care of their top of the order, which is a good key because those guys can put up big numbers,” Thompson said. “Keeping those guys in the ballpark is key. I think our people were killed at the right time.
Nola heads into the break at 11-4 with a 3.38 ERA. Chris Sale is the only pitcher with more hits in the majors with 12. The difference between their rotation and that of their competitors is evident in every home stand. Most teams, even good teams like the Dodgers and Brewers, can’t get through a series at Citizens Bank Park without using an opener or an unusual starting pick. Phillies fans wonder about the No. 5, most teams don’t even have a strong No. 3. Sure, the Dodgers have Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto without injuries, but health and durability are all parts.
The Phils will start Ranger Suarez and Tyler Phillips on Friday and Saturday in the first half of their last series against the Oakland Athletics, who have lost 25 of their last 29 road games. Backing specialists rule out Zach Wheeler making the final start Sunday — possibly a bullpen game — but the Phillies think he’ll be ready to come out of the All-Star break.