Final Score: Phillies 5, Astros 0
It’s pretty simple: When a Phillies starting pitcher goes seven innings, they probably win the game.
The Phillies, behind Aaron Nola’s seven shutout innings, took the series against the AL West leading Houston Astros with a 5-0 win. Nola completed seven innings for the first time since June 24, allowing only four hits and striking out six.
Nola’s outing extends an impressive streak for the starting rotation: The club has won 30 consecutive games in which the team’s starting pitcher has thrown at least seven innings. It’s the second-longest streak in MLB history behind only the 1942 St. Louis Cardinals, who won 42 straight when the starter goes at least seven.
Overall, the Phillies are 30-1 when their starter goes seven innings, with the only loss coming on April 9 — against the Cardinals.
Against former World Series nemesis Justin Verlander, the Phillies offense scored four runs in the third. Verlander’s former Detroit Tigers teammate Nick Castellanos came up with the big blow, a three-run shot to left field to make it 4-0. Over his last 15 games, Castellanos is batting .305 with an .836 OPS.
Through two games against Houston, Zack Wheeler and Nola have combined to allow only two earned runs through 13 innings. Taijuan Walker, in what could be his last chance to lock down a spot in the rotation, will start the series finale on Wednesday.
The Phillies are 78-54. The NL East lead is still at six with the Braves’ win over the Minnesota Twins.
Highlights
- The Phillies finally got to Verlander in the third thanks to a break. Trea Turner took an extremely close 0-2 pitch low on the outside corner that probably should have been called a strike, then proceeded to drive the next pitch through the hole the other way for an RBI single.
- Castellanos delivered the big swing, a three-run home run to left field on a Verlander curveball to make it 4-0.
- Alec Bohm made it 5-0 in the seventh against lefty reliever Caleb Ferguson. Bohm chased a 2-0 pitch inside, but hit it into no man’s land in center field. Bohm hustled all to the way to second for a double as nobody was around to cover the base.
Notes
- Prior to the game, manager Rob Thomson provided an update on José Alvarado, who was placed on the restricted list on Monday.
- There were two Phillies milestones on doubles tonight. Austin Hays’ third-inning double was the 200th extra-base hit of his career. J.T. Realmuto’s two-base hit in the sixth was the 250th career.
- With his 102nd win in a Phillies uniform, Nola is now seventh on the franchise’s all-time win list, surpassing Curt Schilling.
Ticket IQ Next Game
- Wednesday, Aug. 28 vs. Houston Astros at Citizens Bank Park
- 4:05 p.m. EST
- NBC Sports Philadelphia, MLB Network (out-of market only)
- 94 WIP
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