Final Score: Padres 1, Phillies 0
In the third through fifth innings, the Phillies stranded seven runners on base, four of whom were in scoring position. They went 0-for-8 on Friday night with runners in scoring position Missed opportunities came back to bite them, as an RBI single by Padres catcher Austin Nola against his brother, Phillies starter Aaron Nola, gave the Padres the lead and what ended up being the only run of the ballgame.
This was Austin’s first hit against Aaron. In five previous plate appearances, he was 0-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts.
The Phillies had five hits, all singles, and only three baserunners after the fifth inning. They loaded the bases in the ninth, but Kyle Schwarber flew out to center to end it.
Alec Bohm’s defensive turnaround
On April 11, Alec Bohm had three errors and said he hated this place. Fast forward two months, and he’s making impressive diving stops over at third base.
Bohm isn’t a lights-out defender at third base, and it would be unreasonable to expect that given his baseline. But compared to earlier in the season, when he struggled to consistently make throws across the diamond, the recent results for Bohm defensively have been very positive. He has five errors in 60 games since April 11, and only one in the month of June.
His 6’5″ frame may make him look clunky at the hot corner, but the results are what matter. Bohm hasn’t been giving away outs defensively, and for a team whose defense is subpar overall, that’s a promising development.
Phillies’ rotation continues to impress
On paper, the Phillies rotation looks strong, and so far, the five members of their pitching staff have generally lived up to expectations. The best recipe for success for a team with a weak bullpen, which the Phillies have, is for their starters to work deep into games. In games started by Wheeler, Nola, Gibson, Eflin, and Suárez in the month of June, the starter pitched six or more innings in 15 of 21 starts.
The objective in baseball is simple: Get the other team out 27 times, and when the 27th out is made, have more runs than the opponent.
When your starting pitcher is getting 18 or more of those 27 outs before handing the ball off to the bullpen, it means they’ve likely stayed out of dangerous situations and kept the game close. The Phillies offense ranks near the top of the league in runs scored, and if their starting rotation continues to hold up their end of the bargain and pitch deep into games, the club should keep racking up wins and be in a good spot down the stretch.
Shibe Vintage Sports Notes
- In Aaron Nola’s last 22 innings on the mound, the Phillies offense has scored 2 runs. Nola has a 1.23 ERA over that span, but he has not received the win in any of his last 3 starts.
- Nick Castellanos is two for his last 31. His batting average is down to .242 on the season.
Ticket IQ Next Game
- Saturday, June 25 vs. San Diego Padres at Petco Park
- 10:10 p.m. ET
- TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
- Radio: Sportsradio 94 WIP, WTTM1680
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