Categories: 2022 Postgame Recaps

Bohm injured, Nola hits a wall as Phillies settle for split with Cardinals

Alec Bohm left Monday’s game with an injury. (Cheryl Pursell)

Final Score: Cardinals 6, Phillies 1

A four-game split in their series with the St. Louis Cardinals seemed like an acceptable outcome for the Phillies this weekend, and perhaps it still is. But after winning the first two games against the team right beside them in the wild card standings, sights were set higher.

Unfortunately for the Phillies, the split will have to do. Monday’s loss to the Cardinals — a once-promising turned tough night for Aaron Nola, where Rhys Hoskins provided the only spark in the lineup and Alec Bohm left with an injury — made that reality, and it brought them even with the Cardinals for that third wild card spot.

Up next is a quick two-game set in Toronto. The Phillies are 46-41.

Bohm exits in the second

In the second inning, Bohm was thrown out trying to stretch a two-out single into a double. The out call on the field stood upon replay review, despite it appearing as though Bohm may have gotten his left hand to the bag in time.

But that call was far from the worst thing to come from that particular sequence. Right after the play, Bohm grabbed his hand in pain, seemingly telling a trainer a finger was broken. He walked straight to the clubhouse and was removed for Yairo Muñoz.

There’s never a good time to lose a regular starter, but this timing is especially inopportune. The Phillies are, of course, already down Bryce Harper and Jean Segura, and Bohm was hitting .330 since June 12.

A series that began with Bohm as the hero on Friday ended with an injury Monday that could keep him on the shelf for the foreseeable future.

Missed opportunities

The Phillies put the leadoff runner on base in innings four through six on Monday, with Hoskins, J.T. Realmuto and Matt Vierling singling to lead off those respective frames.

Nothing came of any. Nick Castellanos grounded into (another) double play in the fourth — his 13th of the season — Kyle Schwarber hit into one of his own in the sixth and Realmuto never reached second in the fifth.

In fact, Hoskins, with this first-inning big fly, was the only Phillie to reach second until there were two outs in the ninth.

Nola’s night flips on a dime

Seemingly intent on proving his omission from the All-Star roster was indeed a snub, Aaron Nola was cruising early on Monday. The only batter to reach base safely in the first four innings was Dylan Carlson on a second-inning bunt, and Carlson never advanced.

Things unraveled in the fifth, and quickly. Carlson singled again, and Albert Pujols grounded out on what would’ve been a double play had Carlson not been in motion. That turned out to prove costly, as Corey Dickerson singled him home one batter later.

Though maybe he would’ve scored anyway. Edmundo Sosa doubled Dickerson home to give the Cardinals a lead, and Andrew Knizner’s RBI bloop single quickly put the Phillies down a couple.

After a perfect sixth, Dickerson once again got to Nola in the seventh with a two-run homer that continued to carry, just evaded the glove of Nick Castellanos and ended Nola’s night.

Shibe Vintage Sports Starting Pitching Performance

Miles Mikolas: 7.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO, 1 HR, 99 pitches (62 strikes)

Hoskins’ staredown of Mikolas after his solo homer in the first was all the staring down Phillies hitters could offer on Monday. Mikolas was superb, using his big breaking ball to keep hitters off balance and inducing ground balls to work around the leadoff baserunners. Like Nola, he is not an All-Star, despite an ERA now at 2.62.

Aaron Nola: 7.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 7 SO, 1 HR, 98 pitches (75 strikes)

Nola’s ability to remain effective deep in games has been a big part of his turnaround this season, but said ability didn’t follow him to St. Louis. He didn’t make an awful pitch on Sosa’s double and Knizner’s RBI single went 63.8 mph, but that’s how it goes. With presumably one more start against the Miami Marlins this weekend before the All-Star Break, Nola’s ERA is at 3.35.

Phillies Nugget Of The Game

Especially if Bohm is hitting the injured list for a substantial amount of time, the Phillies could really use more of this:

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