Nola bounces back in complete game shutout, leads Phillies to sweep over Mets
Nola bounces back in complete game shutout, leads Phillies to sweep over Mets originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
It's always a good day when the Phillies sweep the Mets.
So, happy Tuesday!
Aaron Nola was lights out in his best start of the season, leading the Phillies to a 4-0 victory at Citi Field. Nola pitched the sixth complete game of his career in the shutout victory. He had eight strikeouts on the day and no walks with 109 pitches.
In a game where the offense was secondary, there was no slight from excitement. Nola was perfect through the first five innings before giving up a single to Tyrone Taylor. After a catcher's interference call on Garrett Stubbs was overturned, Nola worked his way out of the inning unscathed.
"That's what I train for," Nola said on the complete game. "That's what all of our staff trains for, too. That's what we want to do. Everybody is on board with it. We know that getting to the postseason, how important the bullpen is because they throw a lot and they gotta be fresh.
"We want to put it on our back during the season to rack up those innings and we've got five guys that can do that."
The Phillies are the first team in MLB to reach the 30-win benchmark this season. Their success has been split right down the middle between the home and road, having 15 wins for each.
Alec Bohm, who leads the team with 28 RBIs with runners in scoring position, tacked on another to open the scoring this afternoon. And it happened the same way he drew in a run the previous night … getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. This is only the second time a player has gotten hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in consecutive games since 1974 (Nate McLouth, PIT in 2008).
Bohm is now tied with Jimmy Rollins for the 2nd-most HBP with the bases loaded (4) during the regular season in franchise history. Chase Utley leads the way with five.
Brandon Marsh worked an eight-pitch walk directly after to bring in another run. It was the third walk of the inning for Mets' starter José Buttó.
The score did not change until the ninth inning, when the top of the order got to work with a flurry of hits. Kyle Schwarber doubled, Nick Castellanos singled, Bryson Stott singled and Bohm doubled. The Phillies snagged two more insurance runs in the process.
Schwarber returned to the lineup after being out the past three games. In addition to his double, he drew two walks in his return. Moments before the game started, the Phillies announced that Bryce Harper was a last-minute scratch due to a migraine. The Phillies are now 3-2 this season when Harper does not play.
Now, sitting at a season-best 17 games over .500, the Phils head back to Citizens Bank Park as they continue on this stretch of NL East teams. They'll face the Mets in another two-game slate and see the Nationals for the first time this year.
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