Phillies waste Aaron Nola’s gem and a chance to sweep Yankees in doubleheader
The Phillies split a doubleheader with the New York Yankees on Wednesday night, but it could have been so much better.
The Phils wasted a gem from Aaron Nola and lost the nightcap, 3-1. They didn’t hit in that game, and the bullpen imploded once again.
The Yankees are 9-2.
The Phillies, 2-4 after six games, showed off the strength area of their ballclub in the two games.
We’re talking about the 1-2 punch of Zack Wheeler and Nola in their starting rotation.
Wheeler pitched six innings of three-run ball and the Phillies got lots of offense in winning the opener, 11-7. It should not have been that close, though. Manager Joe Girardi lifted Wheeler with an eight-run lead after six innings. The Yankees jumped lefty Austin Davis for four runs in the bottom of the seventh before Hector Neris nailed down a one-pitch save in a game in which he should never have been needed.
Using Neris in that game ultimately hurt the Phillies in the nightcap.
Wheeler is 2-0 in as many starts with his new club and he’s loving life throwing to J.T. Realmuto.
Because of COVID-19 protocols, both games of the doubleheader were seven-inning affairs.
The offense was not as robust in the nightcap, but Nola was brilliant and that was a really good development for this club.
Nola had struggled in his previous eight starts dating to last August. He was 0-5 (and the team was 0-8 in those games) with a 5.44 ERA over that span.
Nola rebounded in a big way Wednesday night. He looked much like the guy who finished third in the National League Cy Young voting in 2018. Nola’s fastball had life – he hit 95 mph on the gun – and his breaking ball and changeup were sharp. He held the Yankees to three hits and a run over six innings. He walked none and struck out 12. The only run Nola allowed came on a first-pitch homer by Luke Voit in the second inning. Voit was sitting breaking ball, got one and clubbed it 420 feet to left. Otherwise, Nola was brilliant.
Because Nola was pitching for only the second time this season, and he was doing it on 12 days’ rest, Girardi lifted the right-hander at 88 pitches and entrusted a tie game to veteran Tommy Hunter in the seventh.
Hunter struggled from the outset. He gave up three straight hits – two singles and a double – as the Yankees broke the tie and took a 2-1 lead. Hunter then hit a batter and allowed another hit as the Yankees went up, 3-1.
Hunter faced five batters and retired none before Girardi lifted him.
If you’re keeping score at home, the Phillies’ bullpen so far has allowed 17 earned runs in 16⅔ innings. That’s a 9.18 ERA. Opposing teams are hitting .338 against Phillies relievers. Needless to say, that’s awful.
A lack of offense in a game in which the Yankees employed their bullpen for all seven innings also hurt the Phillies as they wasted Nola’s excellent start.
And one had to wonder what might have been hadn’t Neris been needed in Game 1. He, instead of Hunter, could have been used in the top of the seventh. It’s customary to use your closer in the top of the final inning in a tie game at home.
This bullpen might end up being the undoing of this team. So far, it’s a big reason the Phils are just 2-4 after six games.
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