PHILADELPHIA – For the third straight season the Philadelphia Phillies sent Aaron Nola to the mound in a post-season clinching game.
Three is a magic number, as Nola delivered an absolute gem in Milwaukee. Aside from a solo home run to former teammate Rhys Hoskins, Aaron gave the Phillies a chance to win the ballgame.
However, the Phillies offense could not muster up any support. Aside from an Alec Bohm solo homer, the team went silent the rest of the night. They struck out 16 times in the game for the second straight day and went 0-5 with runners in scoring position.
It wasn’t the night fans tuned in to see, but luckily for the Phillies, time is on their side.
Aaron Nola Delivers
Coming off one of his worst performances of the season, fans were nervous about Aaron Nola. People needed to see the longtime Phillie toss a great game and he fulfilled his role.
Taking the mound in the first inning, Nola walked the leadoff hitter Bryce Turang. It wasn’t exactly the first impression that he was looking for, but he bounced back and retired the next three hitters.
Aaron was much crisper with his command in this game. He was able to locate his fastball with ease, which allowed him to keep hitters off balance on his curveball. That combination is when he is at his best on the mound. Limited traffic is another key to a good game for Aaron. Only 4 batters would reach against him for the game.
Overall, Nola had 14 swings and misses, which led to 9 strikeouts in 7 innings. He struck out 8 of the 9 hitters in the Brewers’ starting lineup on Wednesday night.
He would finish his night with 7 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K, and 1 HR. He exited the game with a 1-1 tie after the conclusion of the 7th.
Phillies Offense Struggles
The following is a summary of the Phillies’ offense in the finale with Milwaukee: Alec Bohm hit a home run.
The Phillies offense went toe to toe with Freddy Peralta in Wednesday’s game. Peralta is the ace of the Milwaukee staff, entering the game with an 11-8 record and a 3.75 ERA. He has dynamic stuff, averaging 10.1 strikeouts per 9 innings. That movement was on display as he forced 16 swings and misses from Phillies’ hitters.
In the postgame, Rob Thomson mentioned “needing to get back to our 0-2 approach.” That was evident as the team struck out 40 times. That is good enough for roughly 13 a game and accounted for 49% of the teams’ outs in the series.
What’s Next?
The Phillies’ magic number to clinch a post-season berth sits at 1. This means a Phillies win or loss by both the Mets and Braves would secure their third straight playoff appearance. Their magic number to win the NL East sits at 4. This means any combination of wins and Mets’ losses would move them closer to that goal. It would be their first division title since 2011.
Fortunately (or unfortunately) the Phillies head to New York to face the Mets in a four-game series. Splitting the series means they would clinch their goal in the East and even just winning one game could nearly secure it. Winning three of four or even sweeping New York could push them out of the post-season altogether. The Mets and Braves are fighting for the last playoff spot in the National League, with the Diamondbacks right on the cusp as well.
Like in 2011, the Phillies could shape the National League playoff picture. Before they can worry about everyone else, they need to lock up their division.
They will send Taijuan Walker to the mound on Thursday night to try and take one step closer.
Photo Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
