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Phillies Rebuilding Keys Overpower Brewers

By Matt Veasey

Apr 22, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (27) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 22, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (27) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /
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6. Final. 2. 76. 5

The Philadelphia Phillies opened a weekend in Milwaukee with a victory over the Brewers at Miller Park.

The Phils rode the performances of a pair of key pieces to their rebuilding program to a 5-2 victory. With the win, the club pulls back within a game of the .500 mark, which they have reached just once this season.

It was the right arm of starting pitcher Aaron Nola and the booming bat of 3rd baseman Maikel Franco that carried the day. Both the pitcher and the position player were the first real pieces of significance to emerge in that publicly announced rebuild. Each had a strong season as a rookie a year ago.

But Nola was coming off a difficult outing in his last start six days earlier at Citizens Bank Park against the Washington Nationals in which the Nats blitzed him for seven hits and 7 earned runs over just five innings. Franco was mired in a 3-29 slump as this series opened.

On Friday night, both bounced back in a big way. Nola (1-2) went seven innings, allowing just four hits while striking out seven and walking two, and he earned his first win of the season.

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Franco backed up his stellar pitching with a pair of home runs in a 3-4 night. The Phillies lineup rapped out 10 hits, reaching double-digits for the first time this season during a regulation 9-inning game. This was also the first time that the club won a series opener this year.

The Brewers took an early lead when Nola walked Brewers’ 2nd baseman Scooter Gennett with one out. He moved to 3rd on a single by Ryan Braun, and then came in to score the game’s first run on an RBI single off the bat of Chris Carter.

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The Phils got even in the top of the 4th when Cameron Rupp doubled to left with one out, then scored on a two-out RBI single by Darin Ruf. It was rare productivity from Ruf against righty pitching. He would go 0-3 in making three weak outs in his other plate appearances.

In the top of the 5th inning, the Phillies took control of the game. With one out, Odubel Herrera singled to center, and then raced around to score when Freddy Galvis banged a triple into the right field corner. Franco then followed with his 3rd home run of the season, a big blast into the left field stands that put the Phils on top by a 4-1 score.

With two outs in the top of the 7th, Franco stepped in again, this time against Milwaukee lefty relief veteran Chris Capuano. This time the Phillies’ powerful 23-year old drove a deep blast into the stands in left-center field, making it a 5-1 game.

Closer Jeanmar Gomez came on in the bottom of the 9th despite the fact that it was not a Save situation. As many closers seem to do under those circumstances, he allowed the Brewers to score. It was back-to-back doubles leading off the frame by Carter and Aaron Hill that scored a run to make it a 5-2 game. But Gomez retired the next three batters in order to seal the deal.

This game began not only a 6-game road swing through Milwaukee and Washington, but also a stretch in which the Phillies will be playing 16 of 19 games on the road. The club is now 3-4 on the road in the young season thus far as they continue to try to prove wrong all of the pundits who have them pegged for a 2nd straight worst-record-in-baseball season.

Next: Series Preview: Phillies at Milwaukee Brewers

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