Phillies’ Nola stifles Braves
ATLANTA — Aaron Nola struck out 10 batters while holding the opposition scoreless into the ninth inning for his first victory since opening day, leading the Philadelphia Phillies to a 4-1 win against the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night.
J.T. Realmuto homered as the Phillies prevented the World Series champions from posting their first three-game winning streak of the season.
Philadelphia had lost each of Nola’s past eight starts, but he had a 3.69 ERA over that stretch. He did little wrong against the Braves, allowing one run and five hits in 8 1/3 innings.
Nola (2-4) had dropped four straight starts at Truist Park and entered with a 6.60 ERA with eight homers allowed over his previous six starts in Atlanta.
Nola struck out Matt Olson with runners on first and third to end the third inning and retired the next seven batters he faced. Olson doubled with two outs in the sixth before Nola retired Travis d’Arnaud on a grounder.
In the ninth, Nola struck out Austin Riley before giving up a double to Olson that chased him. Nola fell two outs shy of the fourth complete game of his career, the third shutout of his career and his first of both since April 18, 2021, at home against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Nola threw 109 pitches, 75 of them strikes. Corey Knebel got the final two outs in relief. After retiring d’Arnaud on a grounder, Knebel threw a wild pitch that scored Olson. William Contreras walked, and Adam Duvall struck out to end it.
The Braves lacked two potent bats with injuries sidelining outfielders Ronald Acuña Jr. and Marcell Ozuna, and their absences were felt as Atlanta put just four runners in scoring position.
Atlanta fell to 21-23. The last time the Braves went this far into the season without three consecutive victories was in 2001.
Kyle Wright (4-3) retired the first six batters before Realmuto connected. Realmuto’s third homer of the season traveled 414 feet and gave the visitors a 1-0 lead.
The Phillies looked as if they would put together a big inning after that. Rhys Hoskins’ single loaded the bases with nobody out, but Wright escaped the jam by striking out Alec Bohm and getting Bryce Harper to ground into a double play.