Final Score: Nationals 3, Phillies 2
It’s a common theme for this decade’s Phillies: The ineptitude of the rest of the roster ruined an incredible individual performance. Kyle Schwarber homered twice for the second-consecutive night. Every other hitter in the Phillies order combined to go 1-for-26 in a one-run loss to the Washington Nationals.
Aaron Nola went at least seven innings for the sixth-consecutive outing, but some shaky defense in the outfield cost him a couple runs. On a ball that was smacked to center field off the bat of Luis Garcia, Odúbel Herrera took a questionable route to the ball. Two runs scored on the play as the Nationals took a one-run lead. To be fair, Herrera did make a great play in center in the ninth. A clean throw to the plate kept the runner on third from tagging up to score.
“It look to me like the ball really faded on him. He had to turn it around. That was a tough play,” Rob Thomson said after the game on Herrera’s play in the seventh.
Could Nola have been better? Of course, but the Phillies, excluding Schwarber and perhaps Rhys Hoskins, could have put in a better effort behind him.
The Phillies will look to win the series on Thursday in the finale against Washington. Bailey Falter will make his fifth start of the year for the Phillies.
The numbers behind Schwarber’s incredible hot streak
Schwarber hit home runs No. 26 and 27 on Wednesday. It’s his ninth home run in the last 12 games, which is more than the individual home run totals of Nick Castellanos and J.T. Realmuto throughout the season. Per the Phillies, he’s the first Philadelphia player to have back-to-back multi home run games since Chase Utley in 2006.
Schwarber also has five more home runs than any other player in the National League and is two away from tying Aaron Judge for the league lead.
He leads all of MLB in home runs that either tie the game or give his team the lead with 17.
Shibe Vintage Sports Notes
- Nola became the second pitcher in MLB this season to reach 10 starts of at least seven innings or more. The Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara leads the way with 12.
- Per the Phillies, Schwarber’s 27 home runs are the most ever by a Phillies player in his first 80 games with the club.
- Juan Soto is 9-for-31 lifetime against Nola with 14 walks.
- Nola is the first Phillies pitcher since Cole Hamels to throw at least seven innings in six straight starts. Hamels did so from May to June 2015.
- The Nationals’ Josiah Gray set a new career high in strikeouts with 11.
Ticket IQ Next Game
- Thursday, July 7 vs. Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park
- 4:05 p.m. ET
- TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
- Radio: Sportsradio 94 WIP
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