MIAMI – The firing of Rob Thomson was a wakeup call to the Phillies, their starting pitching staff in particular.
The Phillies improved to 6-1 under new skipper Don Mattingly with 1-0 win over the Miami Marlins on Monday night.
Aaron Nola became the latest starter to shine with six shutout innings. In seven games under Mattingly, Phillies starters have allowed just eight earned runs in 39 innings for an ERA of 1.85. Thomson may have survived if he’d received similar work. When he was let go after 28 games and a 9-19 record, Phillies starting pitchers had a 5.80 ERA (worst in the majors) and had recorded just six quality starts. Nola’s quality start on Monday night was the fifth in the six wins under Mattingly.
“Our starters have been great,” said Bryce Harper, who provided the Phillies’ offense with a third-inning homer against Miami starter Janson Junk. “I’ve said for a long time, starting pitching wins championships and we’ve got the starters to do it. When they’re throwing like this, we’re a tough team to beat. Getting (Zack Wheeler) back, I think, has lifted the spirits of our starters. They talk and bounce stuff off each other all the time. Having them all back together has been really good for us.”
The Phillies, now 15-20, ended up taking three of four from the Marlins. They have won two straight series since the reset that the managerial change provided.
“I think we were all just kind of waiting for that ball to drop,” Harper said. “Just kind of waiting for something to happen, if Topper was going to get fired or he wasn’t. It was just kind of we need to get over this hump and get through this, whatever that looked like. So, as a team, we’re coming out and playing our game, understanding that we didn’t play well the first few weeks of the season. April is behind so we’ve got to step forward and play better. Just keep it going and be where we need to be at the end.”
The Phillies had lost in each of Nola’s previous four starts. He gave up 11 runs in nine innings in his last two. In those two games, he walked a total of seven batters. On Monday night, he walked none and struck out five. He scattered five hits.
Nola’s curveball was exceptional. Thirty-two of his 94 pitches were curveballs and he got seven swings and misses on the pitch. He struck out back-to-back hitters with it in the fifth.
Nola worked on seven days’ rest because the Phillies played a doubleheader Thursday and subsequently adjusted their rotation to get lefty Jesus Luzardo in between right-handers Andrew Painter and Nola.
“He looked great,” Mattingly said of Nola. “I don’t know if it really was the rest. We were talking and someone mentioned (Greg) Maddux and the way he pitched. That was a masterclass tonight of changing speed and keeping people off balance. He did whatever he had to do, pitching backwards with the breaking ball and the changeup, spotting the heater. Just really good pitching.”
Asked what the key to his performance was, Nola said: “Keeping the leadoff hitter off base and first-pitch strikes.”
Nola threw a first-pitch strike to 14 of 22 hitters. He allowed one leadoff hitter to reach base on a single in the fourth inning. Catcher Garrett Stubbs threw out the runner trying to steal. Stubbs, who got the start as J.T. Realmuto was rested, also threw out a runner trying to steal in the third.
“That was a big help,” Nola said.
Justin Crawford and Brandon Marsh also made running catches in center field and left field, respectively, in the fourth inning to help Nola.
The defense slipped in the seventh when shortstop Trea Turner made an error to put the lead man aboard in a one-run game. Lefty Tanner Banks, who picked up Nola, pitched over the miscue.
Jose Alvarado pitched a scoreless eighth inning. Brad Keller survived two hits in the ninth for the save. Barring something unforeseen, the Phillies will activate closer Jhoan Duran from the injured list on Tuesday. He’s missed three weeks with an oblique strain.
A week ago, things were looking pretty bleak for the Phillies. Two series wins later, there’s a whole different feeling around the club.
“We have talent,” Mattingly said. “We have a good team. We knew we had a good team. It was just a matter of getting it going.”
The Phillies return home Tuesday night to begin a six-game homestand with three against the Athletics followed by three against the Colorado Rockies. Cristopher Sanchez (2-2, 2.90) pitches against A’s right-hander Luis Severino (2-2, 4.46) on Tuesday night.