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Aaron Nola - Phillies - Philadelphia Baseball Review
The Phillies did not need Aaron Nola to look like an ace Tuesday night at Petco Park.

They just needed him to stop the bleeding.

For six innings against the Padres, Nola finally looked like himself again.

Not perfect. Not vintage. But composed, efficient and in control — the version of Nola the Phillies desperately need if they are going to stabilize their season heading into June.

Backed by early home runs from Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto and Trea Turner, the Phillies held off San Diego for a 4-3 win, improving to 28-27 and securing a series victory on the West Coast.

The night could have unraveled quickly for Nola.

He carried a perfect game into the fourth inning before Gavin Sheets reached on a two-out infield single when Turner ranged deep into the hole at shortstop but could not complete the play. One batter later, Manny Machado punished a mistake pitch for a two-run home run, instantly cutting the Phillies’ lead in half and threatening to turn another Nola outing sideways.

A few weeks ago, it probably would have.

Instead, Nola settled himself immediately.

That was the difference.

After allowing 13 earned runs across his previous three starts, Nola delivered arguably his sharpest outing in more than a month. He allowed just three hits over six innings, walked nobody and struck out five while throwing only 80 pitches.

More importantly, he worked ahead consistently and generated the type of soft contact that had largely disappeared during his recent struggles.

His sinker had life. The curveball had depth. The pace looked quicker. The body language looked calmer.

For one night, at least, the Phillies saw something resembling the dependable version of Nola that anchored their rotation for the better part of a decade.

The Phillies offense gave him breathing room early.

Harper started the scoring in the first inning with a laser into the right field seats off Padres starter Randy Vásquez, his latest reminder that he is beginning to settle back into the middle-of-the-order force the Phillies need him to be.

Realmuto followed an inning later with a solo homer of his own, another encouraging sign for a veteran catcher whose offensive production has declined sharply this season.

But the biggest swing may have belonged to Turner.

Dropped from the leadoff spot amid an uneven stretch offensively, Turner responded with one of his loudest swings of the season in the third inning, launching a towering 434-foot home run off the Western Metal Supply Co. building in left field.

The swing looked angry.

Maybe that was exactly what the Phillies needed.

Turner has remained productive statistically this season, but the Phillies have spent weeks searching for the explosive, game-changing version of him that can completely alter an offense. Tuesday night offered a glimpse of it.

Later in the inning, Alec Bohm added an RBI single as the Phillies built a 4-0 lead before Machado’s homer tightened the game.

San Diego threatened again in the eighth inning against Brad Keller when Ramón Laureano launched a solo home run to cut the lead to one. Two more Padres reached base later in the inning before Bohm made the defensive play of the game, charging a slow roller from Machado and making a barehanded throw to first to end the threat.

The play preserved the lead and prevented another late-inning collapse from gaining momentum.

From there, the Phillies handed the ball to Jhoan Duran.

Originally expected to be unavailable after pitching four times in five days, Duran convinced the coaching staff he was ready to go. He responded with a dominant 1-2-3 ninth inning for his 11th save of the season.

There was one concerning development for the Phillies.

Brandon Marsh exited the game after spraining the middle finger on his right hand while diving back into first base earlier in the night. Marsh stayed in briefly and collected another hit before eventually leaving. The Phillies are considering the injury day-to-day.

That would be welcome news for a lineup that suddenly looks far more athletic and balanced when Marsh is healthy and productive.

The Phillies will now go for a sweep Wednesday afternoon behind Cristopher Sánchez, who enters the finale carrying 37 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings. Another dominant outing would move him within reach of one of the oldest pitching records in franchise history — Grover Cleveland Alexander’s club mark of 41 straight scoreless innings set in 1911.

At a time when the Phillies are still searching for consistency almost everywhere else, Sánchez has become the one thing that feels automatic.

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Patrick Gordon, Executive Editor

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