PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES NOTES:
GAME #98 RECAP: The Phillies were blanked by the Cleveland Guardians, 1-0, and have dropped two consecutive series for the first time since May 1-3 at LAD (0-3) and May 5-7 vs BOS (1-2) … It marked the eighth time the Phillies have been shut out this year … Starter Zack Wheeler (L, 7-5) was dominant through 7.0 innings, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits with 1 walk and 8 strikeouts … The lone run scored on a high popup to the gap in shallow right field … Philadelphia’s offense was held to just two hits.
- ARMS RACE: Over the last 41 games (since 6/3), the Phillies’ starting rotation has gone 17-10 with a 3.08 ERA (83 ER, 242.1 IP) with 242 strikeouts to 61 walks (3.97 SO/BB ratio) – they have faced 978 batters and held them to a .643 OPS – it’s the lowest OPS among all clubs in that span (next: SD, .667 OPS) … The staff has gone at least 6.0 innings in 27 of those 41 games (20-7 team record) … Philadelphia’s starters and relievers have combined for 14.8 fWAR which leads MLB (next: MIN, 13.9) and is more than two full wins clear of the next closest NL club (ATL, 11.5 fWAR).
- FIRST ISN’T THE WORST: On Friday night, Bryce Harper played first base for the first time in his major league career. According to Elias, Harper became the 25th player in the modern era to play in over 1,400 career games (1,446th game) before making his first career infield start. The last player to do this was Nelson Cruz in 2021 (1,853rd game). Other notable players to make their debut start in the infield after their 1,400th game: Joe DiMaggio (1,551st), Willie Mays (2,385th), Dusty Baker (1,855th) and Andruw Jones (1,857th).
- AMERICA’S TEAM: The Phillies won 12 straight games against the American League from 5/7-7/6: 1 G vs BOS, 2 G vs TOR, 3 G vs DET, 3 G at OAK and 3 G at TB) … Philadelphia’s 12-game Interleague winning streak was tied for the second-longest in major league history (13 G is the record) and is the longest since 2017 when the Dodgers won 13 straight against the AL …The Phillies were only the eighth team with a 12+ game Interleague winning streak in MLB history: NYY, 13 G (6/12/03-6/10/04); TB, 13 G (6/9-26/04); MIA, 13 G (8/13/13-6/10/14); LAD, 13 G (6/29-8/19/17), MIN, 12 G (6/22/06-5/19/07); BOS, 12 G (6/16-29/06); STL, 12 G (6/13/04-5/21/05) … It was also the longest Interleague winning streak in franchise history (previous was 5 G, 2x: 6/21-29/03 and 9/1/97-6/6/98) … At the All Star Game last Tuesday in Seattle, Rob Thomson and his coaching staff were joined by Nick Castellanos and Craig Kimbrel on the National League team – the NL’s win was their first over the American League since 2012 – in fact, the NL had been just 4-21-1 against the AL since 1996 … Thomson became the first Canadian to ever manage an All Star Game – Castellanos went 1-for-2 with a walk and scored on Elias Diaz’s game-winning pinch-hit home run in the 8th as he played center field for the first time in his career – Kimbrel pitched a scoreless 9th and picked up his first career save in an All Star Game (9th career selection).
- ROAD WORK: On June 3, the Phillies woke up in Washington D.C. with an 11-22 record at that point on the road this year – since then, they have won 15 of their last 20 games away from CBP which included a franchise record-tying 13-game road winning streak from June 13-July 7 (other 13 G streak was 4/7-6/2/76) … At 26-27 away from home this year, the Phillies rank 13th in MLB with a .491 winning percentage on the road (7th in the NL), but since June 3, their .750 winning percentage (15-5) ranks 2nd in MLB behind only CIN (15-5, .789 win %).
- REMEMBER THE FIGHTINS: The Phillies opened this season on the road and went 1-5 in six games through TEX (0-3) and NYY (1-2) … Since then (4/7-current), they are 51-41 with a .554 winning percentage that is T-7th in MLB (with ARI) and trails only ATL (.633), BAL (.620), TEX (.581), LAD (.578), TB (.573) and HOU (.565) … Since June 3, they have gone 27-14 and their .659 winning percentage in that span ranks 2nd in MLB behind only ATL (30-10, .750).
- THE VIBES ARE BACK: This season, the Phillies were seven games under .500 at 25-32 (.439 win %) when they entered play on June 3, which was also the one-year anniversary of Rob Thomson’s first game as Phillies manager … Since then, they have gone 27-14 (.659 win %) with a +51-run differential (201-150) and enter six seven games over .500 at 52-46 … When Thomson took over last year on June 3, the Phillies were seven games under .500 at 22-29 (.431 win %), and in their first 41 games with him as manager (6/3- 7/18/22), they also went 27-14 (.659 win %) with a +61-run differential (201-140) … Since Thomson was hired on June 3, 2022, the Phillies are 117-92 and their .560 winning percentage ranks 6th in MLB behind only ATL (.671), LAD (.644), HOU (.610), BAL (.585) and SEA (.565).
TODAY’S STARTER – AARON NOLA • RHP #27
2023: 9-6, 4.39 ERA Career: 87-68, 3.67 ERA
LAST START: 7/18 vs MIL: W, 7.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 SO, 0 BB … Nola vs Teheran … The Phillies defeated the Brewers, 4-3, in game 1 of a 3-game set in South Philly … Kyle Schwarber led off the game with a home run on the first pitch… Nola retired the first 14 batters he faced and was perfect into the 5th – Milwaukee scored twice in the 5th but Gregory Soto (0.2 IP) and Craig Kimbrel (1.0 IP) made scoreless appearances in relief of Nola TODAY’S START:
- Nobody Rides for Free: Nola has walked only 30 batters in his first 20 starts this year … It’s the fourth time in his career and third year in a row that Nola has issued 30 or fewer walks in his first 20 starts … His 2.14 BB/9.0 IP and 5.9 % walk rate rank 7th in the NL and since the start of 2022 his 1.60 BB/9.0 IP rank 4th
in baseball - 7 Strong: Nola has pitched at least 7 IP while allowing 3 or fewer earned runs in 6 games this season, which ranks T-3rd in the NL and T-6th in baseball … Nola is one more of these starts away from tying Jim Lonborg on the all-time Phillies list with 75 … This season, the Phillies are XX-X in games when Nola does so
- Left Behind: Among NL pitchers with at least 150 lefties faced, Nola’s .218 OPP AVG when facing southpaws ranks 10th in the NL and his OPP OBP of .279 is 6th
- Pitch Usage: Curveball (31.9%), 4-Seam Fastball (27.1%), Sinker (19.6%), Changeup (11.9%), Cutter (9.4%)
- vs AL Central: 3-2, 3.76 ERA (17 ER, 40.2 IP) in 7 starts
ROAD:
- 2023: 5-4, 4.99 ERA (41 ER, 74.0 IP) in 12 starts
- Career: 39-42, 4.15 ERA (311 ER, 674.2 IP) in 114 starts
2023 SEASON:
- 2023 NL Ranks: BABIP (2nd; .258), IP (T-3rd; 126.1), WHIP (T3rd, 1.11), and SO (T-7th; 126)
- Innings Eater: Since the start of the 2018 season, Nola’s 998.0 IP are the most in the majors … This season, Nola has gone at least 6.0 IP in 17 of his 20 starts in 2023 (85%) … His 17 instances of 6.0 or more innings are tied for most in the majors with SF’s Logan Webb (17)
- Philly Value: Since 2018, Nola is the only pitcher in baseball to accrue more than 20.0 fWAR (23.8) and pitch for only one team … In that span, he ranks 5th overall in fWAR behind only Jacob deGrom (27.1), Max Scherzer (26.7), Gerrit Cole (25.9) and Zack Wheeler (25.7) … His 31.8 fWAR as a Phillie is 7th most in franchise history trailing Curt Simmons (33.5) for 6th place
- What Is It Good For: Additionally, since the start of the 2022 season, Nola’s 8.5 fWAR is the best among all NL starters with ARI’s Zac Gallen (7.9) and Zack Wheeler (7.7) trailing
- Road Scholar: Since the start of the 2022 season, among all ML pitchers in road games, Nola has recorded the most SO (195), is tied for the most IP (182.0) and has the second best SO/BB ratio (6.72) … Nola’s 28 starts on the road in that span are T-3rd most
- Phils’ Ranks: Recorded the 30th double-digit SO game of his career and 3rd of 2023 on 7/4 at TB … Is now in sole possession of 3rd place in club history (Curt Schilling is 2nd with 48)
CLEVELAND GUARDIANS NOTES:
No team release available.
