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Nola Ks 10 and Kingery drives in 4, but Dominguez has to hold on in ninth >>
PHILADELPHIA » In his first 15⅔ innings worked in his major league career, wide-eyed but relaxed relief pitcher Seranthony Dominguez didn’t allow a run.
Having worked through 18 career innings before Tuesday night, Dominguez was still opening other eyes with his hard-throwing but laid back presence, having allowed just three runs and six hits while maintaining a 1.50 ERA through his first 14 games. But they didn’t come with the challenge Dominguez faced in a series opening game against the Colorado Rockies.
Dominguez had watched from the bullpen while Luis Garcia went out to finish off a Rockies team that was in a four-run hole, largely thanks to Phils shortstop Scott Kingery, who hit his first home run in more than two months and compiled four RBIs on the game.
By the time Sir Seranthony was suddenly waved into the game, however, the Rockies had kicked Garcia to the curb with four straight singles to open that top of the ninth, cutting the lead to three with the bases loaded and moving the local minority of die-hard Phillies fans to voice their displeasure.
The cool, 23-year-old Dominican couldn’t have experienced this kind of pressurized atmosphere too often ... or had he?
“No, that was normal to me,” a not-at-his-best Dominguez said after getting his third career save in a 5-4 win over the Rockies at Citizens Bank Park. “When you’re a pitcher, you know sometimes you’re going to have to work with the bases loaded. Or the bases are going to be empty, it really depends. I’m just thankful that they’re giving me the chance to pitch. That’s real important to me. I just want to get the job done somehow.”
A tad shy of his normal near-100 mph warp speed and missing a couple of key spots, Dominguez indeed needed a little luck and the long-arm reach of Aaron Altherr to get him through this ultimate challenge of his Phillies tenure.
With Garcia silently brooding on the bench after allowing the four straight hits, Dominguez gave up No. 5 in a row as Chris Iannetta singled to center to cut the lead to 5-3 and reload the bases with no outs.
With the outfield shift on, Colorado leadoff man DJ LeMahieu then tagged one to deep left center, but that’s where Rhys Hoskins was told to play him. The flyout went for a sacrifice fly and first out that cut the Phils’ lead to a single run and left the would-be tying run on second base.
Dominguez took a deep breath and worked on Charlie Blackmon, who quickly roped a drive to right. Altherr, a pinch-hitter the previous inning, wasn’t playing him perfectly, but was able to run the ball down with his long strides and longer reach.
“I thought the play that ‘Stretch’ made on Blackmon’s liner was sensational,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “Obviously a game-saver there.”
But only because Dominguez then was able to get back in his element. Facing the Rockies’ best hitter, Nolan Arenado, Dominguez let loose an 88 mph slider that Arenado thought he held up on.
Home plate umpire Roberto Ortiz did not.
“You can’t really focus on giving up a run or allowing someone to score,” Dominguez said after his 23rd strikeout ended the game. “You really just have to focus on the next guy who is going to take his at-bat. That’s it.”
That was it and it was also another win for Aaron Nola, who before the nightly Bullpen Suspense Show put on a command performance. Nola went 6⅔ innings, allowing just four hits while striking out 10 Rockies. He was charged with an earned run when reliever Edubray Ramos gave up a two-out RBI single to No. 8 hitter Tom Murphy on Ramos’ first delivery.
Though he’d have to sweat it out backstage, Nola more than earned his eighth victory in 10 decisions.
“I was on the bike,” Nola said. Asked if he was nervous watching the clubhouse monitor, he added, “I mean, kind of. How can you not get nervous right there? But we pulled it out.”
Nola has allowed just one run in each of his last four starts at home, and averaged nine strikeouts in those four games. He has won all six of his Citizens Bank Park starts, and overall his ERA has dipped to 2.27.
“He was exactly what we expected him to be, a guy we can lean on and go deep into games,” Kapler said. “He’s a special kind of competitor and it was fun to watch him tonight.”