Categories: 2021 Postgame Recaps

Brutal fourth inning dooms Nola, Phillies

Aaron Nola and the Phillies lost Game 2 of their doubleheader Tuesday. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

Final Score: Mets 4, Phillies 0

A season ago, the Philadelphia Phillies went just 5-11 in seven-inning doubleheaders. They didn’t start out on a much better foot Tuesday at Citi Field. After losing Game 1 of a doubleheader in extra innings, a peculiar fourth inning and a strong performance from New York Mets starter Marcus Stroman led to a doubleheader sweep at the hands of their National League East foes.

Top Plays

The fourth inning was a rather disastrous one for the Phillies, starting with Jeff McNeil reaching on a one-out infield single, one that it didn’t appear he was actually safe on. However, upon further review, the call was upheld.
Kevin Pillar then singled into center field on a ball that Adam Haseley seemingly could have caught had he got a better read on it, but instead he sat back and tried to make sure he kept the ball in front of him.
Jonathan Villar followed McNeil and Pillar reaching base by doubling into right-center field, which played McNeil and allowed Pillar to advance to third base:

Without much of a feel for his pitches in the fourth inning, Nola then plunked catcher Thomas Nido, who otherwise might have been a relatively easy out. Instead, the bases were loaded up and following a strikeout from Marcus Stroman, Brandon Nimmo was able to bring two more runs home with an RBI single:

All in all, the fourth probably could have been worse than it was for the Phillies, but going down 3-0 in the fourth inning of a seven-inning game is certainly not ideal.
Nido tripled into the corner off of Spencer Howard, making his season debut, with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning. After Howard walked Marcus Stroman, Nimmo brought home another run with an RBI single. Howard was able to strand runners on the corners to limit the damage in the inning, but the Phillies really didn’t have any margin for error entering the inning, and further damage was done.
Jeurys Familia did allow two runners to reach base in the. bottom of the seventh inning, but ultimately induced a game-ending groundout from Jean Segura.

Shibe Vintage Sports Starting Pitching Performance

For the second consecutive start, Aaron Nola wasn’t his usual self. The 27-year-old’s night was doomed by a rough fourth inning, which did feature some bad luck that was out of his control. Still, Nola lasted just five innings, allowing seven hits and three earned runs. With the bullpen being taxed in the first game of the doubleheader, the Phillies needed more from their ace.

Marcus Stroman was excellent for the Mets in six scoreless innings, limiting them to just four hits. After opting out of the 2020 season, Stroman is off to an excellent start in what will be a contract year.

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