Categories: 2020 Postgame Recaps

Nola outduels Corbin, Phillies edge Nationals

Aaron Nola hurled seven strong innings against the Nationals (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

The Phillies opened up their series on Tuesday night in Washington with a convincing 8-3 victory. Wednesday was a bit closer, but the result was the same, due in large part to Aaron Nola.

Brandon Workman gave the Phils a scare in the ninth, but the veteran right-hander was able to close things out for his second save in red pinstripes.

The Phils move to 12-14 on the season after their third consecutive win, a full game ahead of the Mets in the National League East. The victory was Joe Girardi’s 1,000th of his managing career, one of just 65 managers in Major League Baseball history to do so.

Top Plays

After both teams went scoreless in the first, Washington Nationals young phenom, Juan Soto, went deep to left field to lead off the second.

The Phillies answered in the top of the third inning. Rhys Hoskins kept up his hot-hitting, launching a hanging curve from Patrick Corbin over the wall in left center field. Hoskins has three homers in his last 35 plate appearance. He had just three in his previous 183 plate appearances prior, dating back to last season noted the Inquirer’s Matt Breen.

The Nationals retook the lead in the bottom half of the fourth. Aaron Nola uncharacteristically walked the first two batters of the inning before surrendering a run-scoring single to former Phillie Howie Kenrick, making it a 2-1 Washington advantage.

After Kendrick reached, Nola rebounded. He struck Yan Gomes out on four pitches, then induced a force out and a fly out to end the frame.
The scoring ceased until the top of the seventh. Didi Gregorious led things off with a triple. Alec Bohm plated the Phils shortstop in the very next at-bat to lock the score at 2-2.

With two on and one down in the seventh, Bryce Harper stepped to the plate and laced an RBI single to left, giving the Phillies a 3-2 advantage. It was Harper’s 20th RBI of the 2020 campaign.

J.T. Realmuto had an opportunity to tack on some more runs, but struck out to end Philadelphia’s threat.
Aaron Nola came out for a seventh inning of work, surpassing 100 pitches for the second time this season. He struck out two of the three Nationals he faced.
The Phillies failed to capitalize on a two-on, two-out situation in the top of the ninth as J.T. Realmuto flew out to end the inning.
In the ninth, Howie Kendrick hit a lead-off double against Brandon Workman. Workman got the next out out, but Luis Garcia followed with a single, putting runners on the corners with two outs to go. Workman struck out Eric Thames with a nasty curve before setting down Victor Robles on strikes, too, to seal the win.

Shibe Vintage Sports Starting Pitching Performance

Aaron Nola: 7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 K, 113 pitches

After lasting just 2 2/3 innings in his last start against Atlanta, Nola returned to ace form for the most part against the Nationals. His seven innings of two-run ball lowered his ERA to 3.00 on the season. Nola worked out of a two-on, no out jam in the fourth with just one run allowed. In five starts in August, Nola is sporting a 2.38 ERA. He’s struck out 41 hitters in 30 2/3 innings this month.

Patrick Corbin: 6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 96 pitches

Corbin kept the Phillies at bay for the most part, but the Nationals bullpen was unable to hold the 2-1 lead he left with in the seventh. He worke out of jams, giving up seven hits, but only two runs, in his six innings of work. Corbin has allowed three runs or less in five of his six starts this season.

Phillies Nuggets Player of the Game: Aaron Nola

The Phillies offense did just enough for Nola, who rebounded tonight against Washington after stumbling against the Braves. His ability to work out of jams and regain his dominance on the mound was the key to the Phillies taking the series opener from the Nationals.

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