The Philadelphia Phillies secured a 2-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday afternoon, following a pattern seen in their recent games. Nick Castellanos' two-run home run in the fifth inning was the highlight of a game dominated by strong pitching and solid defense.
Aaron Nola (7-2) was particularly efficient, needing just 71 pitches to get through six innings and 93 to complete seven. He threw 68 strikes, allowed two hits, walked none, and struck out five.
The Brewers managed hard contact on only three pitches, two of which resulted in outs.
"I thought he was really good," Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. "His breaking ball was sharp, and his command was really, really good. In that seventh inning, he emptied the tank, even though he only had 93 pitches. He got out of that inning."
Nola's performance lowered his ERA to 2.77. The Phillies' pitching staff has been a key factor in their success, with four starters ranking in the top 10 in the National League in ERA. Ranger Suárez leads with a 1.70 ERA, Zack Wheeler is third at 2.23, Cristopher Sánchez is fifth at 2.71, and Nola is sixth.
The Phillies managed only three hits against a tough Brewers pitching staff, drawing five walks and striking out four times.
Castellanos’ home run provided the necessary offense, while the bullpen, which has a 1.81 ERA since May 1, continued its excellent form, closing out the game with minimal fuss.
Philadelphia is now 25 games above .500 and will head to London for a two-game series with the division-rival New York Mets.
