I love it when a plan comes together: Phillies 9, Padres 3

I love it when a plan comes together: Phillies 9, Padres 3

The Philadelphia Phillies (17-10) continued their ten game road trip with a series opening victory against the San Diego Padres (14-15) by the score of 9-3 on Friday night thanks to a synergized pitching performance and power clinic.

Aaron Nola was brilliant again in his sixth start of the year and fifth straight quality start.

The Phillies got to Padres’ starter, Joe Musgrove, early with a leadoff home run by Kyle Schwarber, his seventh of the year and fourth to lead off a game.

Brandon Marsh would extend the lead to 2-0 with an RBI double, scoring Alec Bohm who reached base with a two-out double of his own.

They continued to abuse Musgrove in the top of the third inning with three home runs from Bryce Harper, Brandon Marsh (a two-run jack thanks to a JT Realmuto double), and Nick Castellanos, his first of the season.

The Padres clawed back in the bottom of the third with an RBI double by Jake Cronenworth to make it 6-1.

Bohm tacked on another run with a two-out RBI single off Jeremiah Estrada who came on in relief of Musgrove (90 pitches in 3.2 IP) in the top of the fourth inning.

Nola’s dominance was on display in the middle innings as he struck out the side in order in the bottom of the fourth and got two more punch outs in the fifth en route to 10 K’s on the night.

In each of his last three starts, Nola has gone 7+ innings with 3 or fewer earned runs, his first such stretch since June of 2022.

Realmuto got a hold of a 1-1 fastball from Padres’ lefty, Tom Cosgrove, that landed in the left field stands for a two-run home run and extended the lead to 9-1.

After a single off Nola by Padres’ catcher, Luis Campusano, to begin the bottom of the seventh inning, rookie DH, Graham Pauley, notched his second career home run to cut the home deficit to six runs.

But Nola settled down to get the next three batters and then sat down the side in order in the bottom of the eighth to end his night.

Seranthony Dominguez came on in a pressure-free, “get right” mop up assignment in the bottom of the ninth and encouragingly got the bottom of the lineup out in order to end the game.

Game two of the weekend series in San Diego is scheduled for 8:40pm tomorrow night as Ranger Suarez will square off against Padres’ right hander, Dylan Cease.