USATSI_18146958 — © Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Phillies Drop Ump-Show Rubber Match in Pitchers' Duel

The Philadelphia Phillies fell to the Milwaukee Brewers in a heartbreaking pitchers' duel.

Author:
Ben Silver
Apr 24, 2022 10:04 PM EDT

The Milwaukee Brewers were in town Sunday night, so it was reasonable to expect a pitchers' duel, but perhaps not one of this quality.

Philadelphia Phillies starter Aaron Nola was dominant from the first inning on, something the player-manager Joe Girardi had envisioned his Opening Day starter would look from day one.

With help from his fielders and more than a little aid from home plate umpire Ángel Hernández, Nola pitched seven dominant shutout innings, striking out nine, giving up one hit, and walking one.

That hit was almost a big one, though.

With two out in the third inning, Brewers nine-hole hitter Tyrone Taylor took a Nola knuckle-curve deep to left, but not quite deep enough. It caromed off the fencing at the top of the wall and according to Baseball Savant it would have been a home run in 3/30 ballparks.

Don't discount the Phillies defense in Nola's performance either. Realmuto made sure the first inning didn't get ugly after a two-out walk to Willy Adames in the first.

Brewers starter Eric Lauer handled the Phillies lineup with ease, perhaps even better than Nola. He struck out 13 Phillies and like his starting counterpart, received considerable help from plate-umpire Hernández.

However, it seemed like the Phillies may have gotten to him in their half of the fifth. Schwarber led off the inning with a double, followed by a walk from Alec Bohm, and a one-out single from Matt Vierling.

Despite Lauer's dominance to that point, Schwarber was held coming around third. Thus, the onus fell upon Jean Segura to bring home a run with the bases loaded in the fifth.

After one of Hernández's worst strike-calls of the night on a pitch missed almost a whole foot inside, Segura popped out in foul ground. Hoskins came up next and struck out on a middle-middle fastball to end the Phillies' threat.

Though Nola was only at 89 pitches and had flashed some of his best stuff in the seventh inning, starters had been lifted for both teams by the eighth.

Jeurys Familia shut down the Brewers in order in their half of the eighth, while Brad Boxberger and Devin Williams quieted Phillies' bats in the seventh and eighth.

Corey Knebel came in for the Phillies to protect a lead in the ninth. But a combination of unfortunate batted-ball luck and timely Brewer hitting allowed the first run of the game to cross the plate on a Christian Yelich sacrifice fly.

Brewers' closer Josh Hader came into the game in a save situation in the ninth, looking to preserve a Brewers' lead and a perfect season.

Unfortunately for the Phillies, Hader was just as effective in the ninth as he's been all season. Doubly unfortunate, the help Hader got from Ángel Hernández robbed Schwarber of a one-out walk.

Schwarber, who had already watched several miscalls the entire night, flung his bat and helmet in frustration, and was tossed on the spot by Hernández, it was the most life the Phillies' offense had shown the entire night.

Bohm would then be the Phillies' last hope. His deep fly out inspired a burst of noise from the crowd, but it was not to be the Phillies night, as it was caught by Brewers right fielder Hunter Renfroe on the warning track for the ballgame, the Phillies record falling to 6-10.