The Philadelphia Phillies handed the ball to Aaron Nola on Saturday for the middle game of a three-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park. After a rough opening few weeks to start the season, Nola dominated the Diamondbacks’ lineup. Meanwhile, the Phillies used some power hitting to get out to an insurmountable early lead on the way to a 7-2 victory.
Nola entered the contest 0-5 with an earned run average (ERA) north of five. The 31-year-old starter tossed a brilliant six innings despite dealing with an injury scare about half an hour before the 6:05 pm EST start, according to J.T. Realmuto during his postgame interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. After the game, manager Rob Thomson confirmed his catcher’s comments about Nola. “He had a stiff neck,” Thompson said. “Our training staff is unbelievable. We weren’t sure (if he was going to start). As the game went on, he was fine. I checked with him after the fifth. He said he was fine.”
Nola received early-run support from his Phillies starting in the second inning. Max Kepler clubbed a two-run HR for a 2-0 Philadelphia lead. J.T. Realmuto’s double was followed by an Alec Bohm single to provide a perfect moment for a returning Brandon Marsh, who was reactivated from the injured list before the game. Marsh smacked a double down the first baseline to bring Realmuto across the plate for a 3-0 advantage. Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt struck out Bryson Stott and Trea Turner before retiring Bryce Harper on a loud out to left field.
Pfaadt worked himself into trouble in the third inning, as well. Arizona’s pitcher hit Kyle Schwarber to put the leadoff batter at first base. With the hit-by-pitch, Schwarber extends his career-high on-base streak to 39 games. Kepler hit a line-drive single to centerfield to put two men on base with no one out. Pfaadt left a pitch over the middle of the plate that Realmuto bashed to left field for a three-run HR and a 6-0 Phillies lead. Philly added one more run in the fourth as Schwarber scored on a Eugenio Suarez throwing error.
The bullpen took over in the seventh inning, Carlos Hernandez allowed an inning-opening single, which set up Lourdes Gurriel’s two-run HR to end the shutout for the Phillies’ pitching staff. Hernandez shut things down after those two hits. Tanner Banks and Joe Ross finished the 7-2 victory for the Phillies. Nola picked up the win, improved to 1-5 on the season, and watched his ERA fall nearly a whole point, from 5.40 to 4.61, for the 2025 season.
Jose Ruiz to IR
Before Saturday night’s game, the Phillies placed reliever Jose Ruiz on the 15-day injured reserve list due to a neck injury, retroactive to May 1. “Ruiz came in with neck spasms today, and he couldn’t go,” Thompson said. Ruiz has appeared in 12 games for the Phillies this season with a 4.76 ERA in 11.1 innings with 11 strikeouts and six walks.
Taijuan Walker Joins the Bullpen
After the game, Rob Thompson confirmed that Taijuan Walker would be moving into the bullpen after Ranger Suarez returned to the rotation. “It is (difficult),” Thompson said on the move. “I know how hard he’s worked. I know what type of competitor he is. Yeah, it’s difficult, but we got to sort of move on. That doesn’t mean we don’t go to a six-man (rotation) at some point, but I think we’ll do a five-man at least til the next day off. Not Monday, the next one after that. Then we’ll see after that.”
Looking at the Phillies’ upcoming schedule, the next off day would be Thursday, March 15. Philadelphia has an off day before the Pittsburgh Pirates roll into Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies have 10 games between now and mid-March.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
