A rain delay of nearly two hours forced Aaron Nola to depart from what was looking like one of his more dominant appearances of the season on Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park.
“God, he was really good,” Phillies manager Joe Girardi said. “That’s probably as good as stuff as Aaron’s had all year long. It’s frustrating, but it’s Mother Nature and there’s not much you can do about it."
Nola whiffed seven over four innings before the delay, but the bullpen did not fare as well afterward, surrendering five unanswered runs in a 5-0 loss that snapped an eight-game winning streak.
"You can’t control any of that," Nola said. "It happens in the Northeast in the summer. You get rain all the time. But it’s a tough loss. It was a good eight-game stretch."
JD Hammer picked up for Nola in the fifth, but he allowed a solo-shot to Corey Seager to open the frame. Matt Moore surrendered three runs in the sixth while Enyel De Los Santos and Mauricio Llovera combined to allow five hits and a homer.
The loss, coupled with a Braves victory, trims the Phillies' lead in the NL East to one game.
"We'll get back at it tomorrow," Nola said.
Max Scherzer tossed just 3 1/3 for the Dodgers before the delay. He struck out six. The Dodgers' bullpen went on to surrender just three hits over 5 2/3 while collecting nine strikeouts.
The two teams continue their three-game set on Wednesday with Kyle Gibson on the mound for the Phillies opposing veteran David Price.
Injury Update
The Phillies placed Rhys Hoskins on the 10-day Injured List prior to Tuesday's contest. Hoskins is dealing with a tight left groin muscle. The move is backdated to Aug. 7, so he could be activated when the Phils head to Arizona for a three-game set with the D-backs on Aug. 17. Outfielder Mickey Moniak was recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take Hoskins' roster spot.
