Nola Befuddles Giants, K's 12 In Phillies Win Tuesday

PHILADELPHIA, PA -- The 97th pitch Aaron Nola threw on Tuesday night was almost exactly like the five pitches that came before it. The grass a brilliant green under the white lights, a stillness and coolness on the night spring air. Giants first baseman Brandon Belt wagging what may as well have been a wiffle ball bat over his shoulder, the specter of 11 of his sluggers-in-arms already sent down on strikes casting a pall over the batter's box.

Nola kicked his leg high up his chest, knee lifted straight up between his forearms as he hesitated for a calculated half-second, as if whatever pitcher's alchemy he was producing in his glove needed still a moment to bear fruit. The pitch, another fastball, came again over the high and inside part of the strike zone. Belt, who had whiffed mightily and then fouled back the past two offerings, watched this identical one go by. The umpire called strike three.

On another night, perhaps, in the hands of another pitcher, six straight fastballs at around 93 miles per hour over the plate would mean the sixth one was getting sent over the right field fence. But with Nola, with an obscene curveball and changeup each around 18 miles per hour slower waiting in the wings, Belt was left staring; the threat of it was enough to get an out.

Nola had the Giants similarly off-kilter for hours as he led the Phillies to a 4-2 victory. His final numbers for the night - 7 innings pitched, 12 strikeouts, no walks, one run, five hits - do not quite capture the essence of what was perhaps the most dominant start of his young career. Giants hitters swung and missed at Nola's pitches 26 times, the second most misses drawn by any pitcher in a game this season, according to Todd Zolecki with MLB.com.

Perhaps the only very well hit ball of the night for the Giants was an Evan Longoria double in the second, the frame where the Giants put together their lone run off Nola. He cruised from there, growing more comfortable as the game went on and striking out five consecutive Giants at one point between the fourth and fifth innings. He needed only 10 pitches to end the sixth. The Giants went down in order in the seventh.

Offensively, the Phillies were led by homers from Jorge Alfaro, Aaron Altherr, and Carlos Santana. Odubel Herrera extended his major league leading on base streak to 37 games with a 2 for 4 performance, and added a stolen base. The game was closed down by Edubray Ramos, Tommy Hunter, and Hector Neris, who struck out five of the six batters they faced.

Tuesday was the sixth time in his last seven starts that Nola threw at least 7 innings and 100 pitches. He's given up more than two runs in only one of his eight starts. He now has five wins, tied for second in all of baseball behind Max Scherzer, and the rest of his numbers - a 2.05 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and .197 batting average against - trail only Scherzer and Carlos Martinez in the National League. Nola's name is becoming a familiar sight alongside the best pitchers on the planet.

And other scenes that are becoming familiar: an off balanced swing, a poorly hit grounder, a called third strike, expressionless Nola walking across the grass back to the dugout, head down, cap slightly lifted, another 0 popping up on the scoreboard behind him.

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