Inside The Phillies

Philadelphia Phillies Down Astros as Nola Tosses Gem

The Philadelphia Phillies took the first of three from the Houston Astros on Friday night as Aaron Nola looked every part the ace.

Kade Kistner

Philadelphia Phillies Down Astros as Nola Tosses Gem
Philadelphia Phillies Down Astros as Nola Tosses Gem /
In this story:

The Philadelphia Phillies took down the Houston Astros 3-1 on Friday evening as Aaron Nola turned in his best performance of the season against the reigning World Series champions. 

The Phillies (14-13) improved their record to over .500 for the first time this season as they continue to surge and look like the team they were expected to be entering the 2023 MLB season. 

Nola took the mound and turned in a 8.0 inning, one earned run performance. He also struck out six and his lone run allowed came via a Jeremy Peña solo home run in the first inning. 

He recovered well and gave his team a chance at the win. He was also the only Phillies starter to pitch into the eighth inning this season. 

Nola was credited with the win and lowered his ERA to 4.46. 

Jose Alvarado came on in the ninth and slammed the door shut on Houston, earning him his fifth save. 

Offensively, Kyle Schwarber looked great as he quickly got things started with a solo home run in the first inning. Cristian Pache then recorded an RBI-double to score Edmundo Sosa. 

Philadelphia got their insurance run in the seventh when Brandon Marsh notched an RBI-single to make it 3-1. 

Marsh entered the game after Pache exited with a knee injury from slipping on second base. The extent of his injury is still unknown. 

Overall, it was an excellent all-around win for the Phillies as they took down the Astros who placed their ace Framber Valdez on the mound. 

Philadelphia will go for the series win against the Astros on Saturday evening. First pitch is scheduled for 5:10 p.m. ET and Zack Wheeler (2-1, 4.73) will take the mound against Cristian Javier (2-0, 3.21)

More From SI's Inside The Phillies:

  1. Phillies Star Bryce Harper Doesn't Hold Back on Thoughts About Joe Girardi
  2. How Mike Trout Will Join the Phillies
  3. Could Bryce Harper's Favorite MLB Player Join the Philadelphia Phillies in 2023?
  4. Could The Phillies Soon Be Playing in Wawa Park?
  5. Bryce Harper-Obsessed Japanese Baseball Star Wants to Play for Phillies
  6. Six Philadelphia Phillies Declare Free Agency
  7. Rumored Phillies Free Agent Target Just Opted Out of Contract
  8. Jimmy Rollins Describes Disrespectful Treatment by Ryne Sandberg
  9. Phillies Release 2023 Regular Season Schedule
  10. Picking the Phillies' All-Time Single Season Lineup

Make sure to follow Inside the Phillies on Substack and Twitter!

Published
Kade Kistner
KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl.  During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated.  Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.

Home/Game Day