The Philadelphia Phillies were out-hit on Wednesday night as the San Francisco Giants defeated them 11-4. Aaron Nola took his fourth loss of the season, allowing seven runs on the day.
Offensively, the Phillies continued to leave runners on base, going 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position on the evening.
Walkmans are back in style
The windy air was not the only thing that was cold at the start of tonight’s game. After getting the first out on a groundout, Aaron Nola allowed a double into left field to Willy Adames. Adames then scored as Jung Hoo Lee followed him up with a single into right field.
Three batters later, Nola walked Wilmer Flores with the bases loaded to score the second run of the inning. Patrick Bailey then slipped a ground ball by Trea Turner for a two-RBI single, giving the Giants a 4-0 lead going into the bottom of the first. Nola threw 35 pitches in the inning.
Turner led off the bottom of the first, beating out a ground ball to the shortstop for an infield single. After back-to-back walks to Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos flew out to right field for the first out of the frame.
After hitting his first home run of the season last night, J.T. Realmuto stepped up to the plate with a chance to tie the game up with his second of the year. Instead, Realmuto opted for small ball, working a seven-pitch walk to score Turner and put the Phillies on the board.
Following a full-count strikeout by Alec Bohm, Edmundo Sosa stepped up to the plate with two outs and the bases still loaded. Narrowly avoiding a 1-0 slider that nearly chipped his foot, Sosa joined the walk train, bringing in Harper.
In the first inning alone, the Phillies and Giants combined to walk six times.
Rojas snaps the skid and throws a ball away
In the bottom of the fourth, Johan Rojas ended a 0-for-11 skid at the plate with a double into left field to lead off the inning. Bryce Harper then hit his second home run in as many days into right field, tying the game up at 4-4.
With the bases empty, Schwarber hit a ground ball to the shortstop Adames. Originally called out on the play, a replay review revealed Schwarber beat the throw to first, giving him an infield single. Schwarber was left stranded on the base, however, as Ray struck out Castellanos and Realmuto back-to-back to end the inning.
The Giants retaliated in the top of the fifth. Lee hit a double into right field before Matt Chapman strung a single into center field. Lee had held at third, but was awarded home as a wayward throw from Rojas bounced out of play. The throwing error was Rojas’s first official error of the season.
Giants continue to score runs while shutting down the Phillies
Nola exited the game in the top of the sixth inning with one out and the bases loaded. Having utilized several of the Phillies’ high-leverage arms the day before, José Ruiz was the first call out of the bullpen. Ruiz walked his first batter, Adames, on a full count before a sacrifice fly from Lee. Ruiz allowed two inherited runs to score in the inning. Nola’s line closed out on the day, having allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits and four walks over 5.1 innings pitched.
Joe Ross was the next man out of the bullpen for the Phillies and struggled in the seventh. Ross allowed a walk and two hits, scoring one run before recording an out in the inning. As fans began to make for the concourse, Ross allowed back-to-back doubles, giving the Giants an 11-4 lead.
The Phillies were left hitless in the final three frames as the Giants took game three of the series 11-4. Realmuto was struck out looking, his fourth strikeout of the day, for the final out.
Breaking down the breakdowns
For the first time all season, the Phillies left the ballpark with a negative run differential on the year at -4. The Phillies’ pitching staff combined to walk nine batters while allowing 13 hits and 11 runs scored on the day. Meanwhile, the Phillies’ offense continued to struggle with runners in scoring position, going 1-for-9 on the night.
The bottom five of the Phillies’ order combined to go 2-for-19 on the day, with the only meaningful production coming from Rojas, who went 1-for-2 with a double and one run scored. Marsh, who entered the game as a pinch hitter in the sixth inning, went 0-for-2, extending his hitless streak to 31 at-bats.
Nola’s struggles continue
Aaron Nola now falls to 0-4 with a 6.65 ERA. After walking one batter in his first two outings, Nola has now walked four batters in each of his last two games.
“His track record after April is pretty good,” said Thomson post-game on Nola. “This guy is a grinder. He throws 35 pitches in the inning, and then he gets into the sixth. He had 81 after five. He figures it out, no matter what kind of stuff he’s got, he’s going to grind, he’s going to battle.”
Though Nola is showing signs of his usual self in recording 15 strikeouts in the last two games, Nola is currently tied for the most losses in Major League Baseball on the season.
Closing time on Thursday
Down 2-1 to the Giants in the series, they will attempt to go for the series tie on Thursday afternoon. Cristopher Sánchez will be on the mound for the Phillies as they go up against right-hander Jordan Hicks in the 4:05 P.M. start.
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
