PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Phillies received some sombering news just three hours before first pitch Saturday night. The team’s ace, Zack Wheeler, would require surgery and would miss the remainder of the season. After consultations with multiple experts in the field, a press release confirmed a diagnosis of venous thoracic outlet syndrome – a medical issue that typically has a 6-8 month recovery time.
While the news about their teammate wasn’t ideal, their concern was for the man – not the pitcher – as this is a very serious situation and everyone – the organization, media, and fans alike – wish him a healthy, speedy recovery.
That being said, there was still a game to be played in South Philadelphia, and the Phillies seemed to use the loss of Wheeler earlier in this week to galvanize them en route to a historic series sweep against the Seattle Mariners.
While a sweep wouldn’t be repeated after dropping game 1 of the series against the division rival last night, the team jumped out to 5-0 lead after a huge fourth inning. This time, Jhoan Duran would shut the door as the Phillies hung on to secure the 6-4 victory.
Aaron Nola performed well, the core bullpen arms only surrendered one run over three frames, and Duran rebounded. There were Sosa blasts (we love him), tons of uncle Charlie’s, and another sellout inside Citizens Bank Park. Let’s get to Notes and Quotes from the Phillies win.
Phillies Notes & Quotes:
After the news of the day break, Nola’s performance wasn’t just wanted – it felt needed. His own struggles, combined with the knowledge that the presumed Game 1 starter of a playoff series won’t be available, put added pressure on the right-hander’s shoulders. He carried that weight and delivered six strong innings en route to a quality start – his first since May 3 vs. Arizona, and just his fourth of the season.
Manager Rob Thomson was impressed by what he saw from the veteran:
“He looked really good tonight. Touched 94 (MPH), command of his fastball was really good,” Thomson explained. “(His) Curveball was sharp, mixed in the change-up late, got some rollovers on that. Great job in the fifth inning, getting out of that little jam he had after we scored 5…I thought it was great.”
Nola’s stuff looked much better. His fastball ticked up a bit, averaging 92.6 MPH on the day – almost 1.5 MPH more than his season average. He pumped his sinker and cutter harder than normal, as well. The thing that stuck out the most to me, however, was the usage of the Knucklecurve. Long thought to be his best pitch, it has evolved into the one he throws the most since 2023. His season averages of 29 percent is close to the fastball, but tonight that number skyrocketed.
Nola threw 43 (!!!) curveballs Saturday night. With his total pitches being 97, that brought the usage to a whopping 44.3 percent! That’s the second-highest percentage in a game in his career, and in the only game higher – he tossed just 80 pitches (38 curves). Some interest notes about the good ol’ Uncle Charly:
- 2nd highest curve % of his career
- 7th time Nola threw 43+ curves
- Of those 7, three have come vs. the Nationals
- All 7 have come at Citizens Bank Park
- Nola has only thrown more than 43 curves 3 times, all against division rivals
- That makes 5 of 7 against the NL East
In games where Nola has thrown 43+ curveballs, he has a 2.15 ERA with 47 strikeouts to just 12 walks – incredible stuff. Even expanding to include 40+, his ERA sits at 2.98 over 129.2 innings. I asked Thomson about the breaking pitch and why it was a major part of the plan tonight:
“I think he knew he had it, so he was gonna use it… I think it was really good, so he’s gonna use it and he got a lot of swing-and-misses tonight.”
Edmundo Sosa got the start at second base tonight. Despite Bryson Stott‘s hot stretch, Thomson said he wanted to get the right handers in after facing a lot of right-handed pitching, and with some tough left-handers coming up on the schedule.
Sosa crushed a three-run homer, sprinting around the bases and showing even more energy and emotion than usual. When Tim Kelly of OnPattison asked his thoughts on that – Thomson joked with the reporter: “Have you ever hit a home run? I haven’t hit too many, but it feels pretty good.”
Thomson did note that he talked to Sosa after batting practice today, and the utility man told him he was feeling really good. Kevin Long, the hitting coach, has been working with Sosa to use his legs more, and it has paid off. Some of the hardest hit balls of his career have come this season, he has already tied last season’s total for home runs, and he may very well set a new career high for long balls in a season if the adjustments continue to pay off.
Five of Sosa’s seven home runs this season have come against left-handed pitching. The platoons are working.
Some other notes, from the Phillies research team:
- Entering tonight’s game, Sosa’s .881 OPS against LHP ranked fifth among RHH in the N.L (95+ appearances)
- J.T. Realmuto has hit safely in seven straight and is slashing .440/.517/.880 with a 1.397 OPS, five extra-base hits, six RBIs, and four runs scored over that stretch
- Trea Turner is slashing .463/.491/.667 with a 1.158 OPS, 10 RBIs, and 13 runs across his last 12 games
- Alec Bohm is hitting .348 with three extra-base hits, four RBIs, and three walks since returning from the injured list
Philadelphia plays their series finale against the Nationals tomorrow at 1:35 PM Eastern – their final game of the season against the divisional foe. Their win tonight secured the season series over the Nats, but there’s still a chance to win this series. And they have Aaron Nola to thank.
(Top photo of Aaron Nola – Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images)
