PHILADELPHIA — Aaron Nola struck out 11 and allowed just five hits in his second career nine-inning shutout as the Philadelphia Phillies closed out a four-game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds with a 4-0 victory on Thursday night.
Edmundo Sosa had three RBIs from the ninth spot in the lineup, and Kyle Schwarber hit his National League-leading 35th homer of the season, moving him two ahead of Paul Goldschmidt of the St. Louis Cardinals.
With the win, the Phillies increased their lead to 2 1/2 games over idle San Diego in the race for the NL's second wild-card spot. Philadelphia has a four-game lead over Milwaukee, who is the first team out of playoff contention in the newly expanded format. Philadelphia also went 31-20 in games without slugger Bryce Harper, who is expected to rejoin the lineup on Friday after missing two months with a broken left thumb.
Nola (9-10), pitching with an extra day of rest, made short work of the Reds' inexperienced lineup, cruising through the first seven innings on only 69 pitches while yielding only a single to Donovan Solano.
“Aaron Nola is really good at pitching,” Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs said. “That guy is a good baseball player. He is known for his curveball, but tonight he was more than the curveball. Tonight, they had to think about everything.”
In the eighth, Nola allowed back-to-back singles to Aristides Aquino and Alejo Lopez before getting Jose Barrero, Austin Romine and Jake Fraley to strike out swinging, ending the threat. Nola struck out two in the ninth before getting Aquino to bounce back to the mound to end it on his 101st pitch.
“There were a couple of innings where they had some guys on and I had to make some pitches,” Nola said. “Thankfully, we did.”
It was Nola's first nine-inning shutout since a 2-0 win over the Cardinals on April 18, 2021, when he allowed just two hits. The veteran right-hander also threw a seven-inning, complete-game shutout on Sept. 11, 2020, in an 11-0 win over the Miami Marlins, part of a doubleheader.
“Going seven, eight or nine is our goal every time out,” Nola said. “We want to put the load on our back.”
Schwarber got the scoring going with a blast off Reds starter Justin Dunn (1-2) that was measured at 456 feet and hit three-quarters up the batters eye in dead center. He became the 11th player in franchise history to hit 35 or more homers in a season.
Sosa, who was acquired in a deal with the Cardinals on July 30 for reliever JoJo Romero, had his second three-RBI game against the Reds in 10 days. He has three games in his four-year major league career with three or more RBIs. He lifted a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning to bring home Stubbs, then roped a single to center field on a hit-and-run in the seventh that scored Matt Vierling and Bradley Zimmer, giving the Phillies a 4-0 lead. Zimmer was 2 for 3 for the Phillies, who are now 58-17 in games in which they have scored four or more runs.
“Stubbs had a great night,” Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson said. “Sosa hasn't been playing every day, but the last couple times he's played he's had a real impact. Everyone is contributing and it's a real team effort.”
Dunn was solid, striking out five and walking two while allowing two earned runs in just his fourth start of the season.
“I think that was the best game that he's pitched since he was with us,” Reds manager David Bell said. “All of his pitches had good life, maybe the best life he's had. Everything was coming out of his hand crisper. That was a good sign and hopefully, he can finish the season strong.”
TRAINERS ROOM
Reds: Cincinnati placed RHP T.J. Zeuch on the 15 day injured list with back soreness. To take Zeuch's place, the Reds recalled RHP Dauri Moreta from Triple-A Louisville.
Phillies: Pitcher Zack Wheeler has been put on the 15-day injured list with right forearm tendinitis. The 32-year-old Wheeler is 11-7 with a 3.07 ERA. ... CF Brandon Marsh (left ankle sprain, bone bruise) began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday night. Marsh was the designated hitter for the IronPigs on Thursday, but is expected to play outfield on Friday night. Interim manager Rob Thomson indicated that Marsh could return to the Phillies lineup on Saturday vs. Pittsburgh. ... RHP Seranthony Dominguez (right triceps tendinitis) is expected to be re-evaluated on Friday and could begin a throwing program.
UP NEXT
Reds: Cincinnati heads to Washington to begin a three-game set against the Nationals. LHP Mike Minor (2-10, 6.44) will start the opener for the Reds against Washington right-hander Cade Cavalli, making his major league debut.
Phillies: Open a three-game home series against the Pirates on Friday night with LHP Bailey Falter (1-3, 4.40 ERA) making the start against RHP Bryce Wilson (2-7, 5.74)