Phillies vs. Blue Jays: Aaron Nola bounces back, Nick Castellanos stays hot in Phils win
Aaron Nola bounced back after blowing a five-run lead in his last start to help the Phillies to an 8-4 win over the visiting Blue Jays on Tuesday night.
Nola held a hot Toronto lineup that had scored 18 runs the last two days and averaged more than 6.0 per game since April 30 to two runs over six innings. It was Nola’s fourth quality start in his last five tries, with the blown lead at Dodger Stadium mixed in.
Those five outings:
6 IP, 2 ER on April 16 at CIN
7 IP, 3 ER on April 21 vs. COL
8 IP, 1 ER on April 28 at HOU
6.1 IP, 4 ER on May 3 at LAD
6 IP, 2 ER on May 9 vs. TOR
Nola’s fastball velocity, a hot topic early this season, was much better. His four-seam fastball averaged 93.0 mph, up from a season average of 91.6. His two-seamer averaged 92.0, up from 90.8. He maxed out at 95.
The Phillies have said publicly they’re not concerned about Nola’s velocity because he has other weapons and is not strictly a power pitcher. In recent starts, he seems to have compensated for it by throwing more curveballs. He threw the curveball 24 percent of the time in his first four starts compared to just under 35 percent since.
He struck out six, matching a season-high. Nola has struck out just 7.2 batters per nine innings this season compared to 10.9 the last three seasons.
His night was not devoid of stress. Nola allowed two doubles in the third inning but stranded Bo Bichette on second base with one out. He allowed a leadoff single the next frame but erased it with a double-play ball. He put three straight men on base in the sixth, including a leadoff homer by Bichette, but retired Matt Chapman, Brandon Belt and Alejandro Kirk consecutively to end the threat and his night.
Through eight starts, Nola is 3-2 with a 4.44 ERA. The ERA for all starting pitchers in 2023 is 4.54 — compared to 4.05 last season — so Nola has been slightly above average.
The Phillies got on the board on Nick Castellanos’ two-run home run just inside the foul pole in left field in the fourth inning. Castellanos also doubled and singled and is hitting .356 with a 1.062 OPS, five doubles, five homers and 13 RBI in his last 15 games.
The Phils did a good job of tacking on, which hasn’t been the case much this season. The Blue Jays scored in the sixth inning and the Phillies answered right back with two to make it a three-run game. Toronto added two more runs in the seventh and the Phils came back with three in the eighth.
Brandon Marsh’s two-run double with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth provided important insurance with the Phillies up only a run at the time and Craig Kimbrel warming up to face Bichette, Guerrero and the top of the Blue Jays’ order.
In injury news, Kyle Schwarber exited after the sixth inning with a left foot contusion after fouling a ball off his foot.
The Phillies (17-19) look to sweep the quick two-game series against the Blue Jays (21-15) Wednesday at 4:05 p.m. A great pitching matchup pits Zack Wheeler (3-2, 4.26) against Kevin Gausman (2-3, 3.86).
Gausman was hit around by the Red Sox last Thursday but has a 2.33 ERA in his other six starts. He already has three games this season with at least 11 punchouts.
