Aaron Nola wasn’t at his best on Thursday afternoon, but what he brought was effective enough to complete a series victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks, pushing the Phillies over the .500 mark for the first time since May 13.
A four-run third inning dampened Nola’s outing, but the right-hander — who had been struggling coming in — pitched well otherwise. He tossed 6 2/3 while striking out nine D-backs batters in a 5-4 win at Chase Field, the Phillies’ third in a row in Arizona.
Bryson Stott kicked off the scoring for the Phillies (35-34) in the top of the second with a solo home run before Trea Turner beat out a grounder to the first baseman with the bases loaded to make it 2-0.
The Phillies extended the lead to three in the third as Alec Bohm lined an RBI double, but Arizona pushed back in its half of the inning against Nola. Gabriel Moreno hit an RBI single into center shortly after a Kyle Schwarber misplay in left put a runner in scoring position, and Ketel Marte hit a three-run home run to give the Diamondbacks a 4-3 lead.
Philadelphia battled right back in the fourth to take the lead for good. Schwarber smoked an RBI double down the right-field line to make up for his defensive mistake and tie it, with Bryce Harper lacing a single to left to drive him in and put the Phils up 5-4.
Nola settled once the Phillies regained the lead, cruising into the seventh inning with no further damage. But after a two-out walk put runners on first and third for Arizona, Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson summoned Gregory Soto out of the bullpen to strike out Emmanuel Rivera and escape the jam.
The Phillies threatened again in the top of the eighth as they loaded the bases, but couldn’t score as Stott lined out to end the inning. The bullpen had it under control, however, not needing any additional insurance.
Soto and Seranthony DomÃnguez combined to take down the bottom of the eighth for Philadelphia, and closer Craig Kimbrel entered for the ninth. One of the best pitchers in save situations in baseball history, Kimbrel slammed the door shut with a 1-2-3 inning to take three of four games against the Diamondbacks prior to a three-game set in Oakland.
Shibe Vintage Sports Notes
- Nola has allowed a home run in 11 straight starts.
- The Phillies, at 35-34, have a winning record for the first time since May 13 when they were 20-19.
Ticket IQ Next Game
- Friday, June 16 vs. Oakland Athletics at the Oakland Coliseum
- 9:40 p.m. Eastern
- TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
- Radio: SportsRadio 94WIP
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