Saturday night, the Philadelphia Phillies showed their growth as a legitimate competitor, stepping up when they absolutely needed to.
It had been nearly two weeks since NBCSports.com’s Jim Salisbury declared the Phillies win over the Red Sox “the most important” win of the current season. As July ended, the Fightin’s had scored three times against mighty Boston, weirdly on three balls hit in the vicinity of one of the best fielders in baseball, Jackie Bradley Jr. Two fell for hits.
The Sox scored only once, and the teams split a two-game series. The Phillies had played the best team almost exactly even for two days, actually outscoring Boston, 4-3.
In the same tweet Salisbury went over the top about the importance of a Phillies win (unlike himself), he also noted Philadelphia fans departing Fenway Park shouting Eagles chants. Did this belie confidence in their baseball team’s ability to maintain a defense of their first place slot in the N.L. East?
But that was in the past by nearly two weeks as the Phillies faced the San Diego Padres Aug. 11. They were sending out ace Aaron Nola to right the ship after a weak-sister 2-0 loss to the Fathers on the night before. That loss had allowed the Atlanta Braves to catch Philadelphia for a share of first place. At least, however, the team would have masher Justin Bour available Saturday night; he’d just been acquired from the Miami Marlins.
The Phillies were in an August dogfight for their division, something sportscasters pretend to drool over.
“Hang on st. christopher through the smoke / and the oil” –Tom Waits
If you don’t win for your ace in August, what can be said? Whatever happened, the six weeks after the game would decide whether the youngest and least expensive team in baseball would hold together. (OK, maybe the Cincinnati Reds are now the youngest team, considering trade deadline roster alterations, as well as Bour’s addition. Are the Phillies diminished if they’re second youngest and in first?)
Almost predictably, Nola struggled early. He had been in a little bit of a rut since his 12th win on July 9 against the New York Mets although he pitched brilliantly against Boston for no decision the day before Salisbury’s “most important” win. Saturday it took him 45 pitches to navigate two innings, but he didn’t give up a run.
After that, however, Nola did what aces are supposed to do. He settled into a better rhythm and completed the next four innings while throwing only 49 more pitches. He left the game after that, having allowed only eight baserunners, four by hits, three by walks and one he’d hit with a pitch. None had scored.
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“Hang on st. christopher now don’t let me go”
Better than Nola’s effort, perhaps, was his offensive support Aug. 11. In NBC Sports Philly pre-game remarks, Corey Seidman had reminded Phillies fans their team had “failed” 39 times this season already against pitchers who had ERAs over 4.00 or were rookies. By “failed” he meant the team had scored two or fewer runs.
San Diego’s starter Saturday, Walker Lockett, carried a 9.28 ERA and was a rookie. The Phillies took advantage, as a first-place team should, of the young player. They supported Nola with five runs before he left the contest. Maikel Franco and Cesar Hernandez had homered. Asdrubal Cabrera came to bat in the first inning hitting .227 for his new team (after .277 through four months with the Mets), and lined an RBI double into right-center field gap.
Four relief pitchers held on, although the first was removed after giving up a run without recording an out, the only one San Diego would score. The 5-1 win put the Phillies back in first place alone by a full game. It was all a little like a lounge singer encouraging his clunker of a car up Mt. Baldy on his way to Reno. Bour didn’t even have to play.