Aaron Nola keeps Marlins off balance for seven strong innings in Phillies' 4-1 win

Lochlahn March, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Aug 19, 2026

Published in Baseball

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PHILADELPHIA — Ahead of Wednesday’s series finale against the Marlins, interim manager Don Mattingly said he would be happy with five innings from starter Aaron Nola.

“That’s really what you’re asking from really any of our guys,” he said. “Keep us in the game through the middle of the game.”

After a rocky start to the season, Nola has been reliably doing just that. But he well surpassed those expectations Wednesday, delivering seven innings of one-run ball in the 4-1 win over Miami.

It was just the second time Nola has finished seven innings this season. He kept the Marlins off balance with his knuckle curve en route to the Phillies’ series sweep and sixth straight win. He recorded seven of his eight strikeouts and 12 total whiffs on the pitch.

Nola surrendered a solo homer to Javier Sanoja in the sixth — marking his eighth straight start with a home run — but that was one of just five hits he allowed. Homers have continued to be an issue for Nola, who is averaging a career-high 2.04 home runs per nine innings, but that can be manageable when he limits them to solo shots.

Nola kept his composure, even as the Marlins threatened with back-to-back singles. After a mound visit from pitching coach Caleb Cotham, he rebounded to strike out Griffin Conine and Heriberto Hernández on curveballs.

He returned for the seventh inning and pitched a 1-2-3 inning, capping it with his eighth strikeout on his 100th pitch of the night. Nola exited to a standing ovation.

In their first two wins against the Marlins this series, the Phillies hadn’t hit a single homer. But on Wednesday, they finally found the seats. And it was from the unlikeliest suspect.

Luis Arraez blasted a two-run shot off his former Miami teammate Sandy Alcantara in the third inning, just his sixth homer of the season and second in a Phillies uniform since the Aug. 3 trade.

He drove in Bryce Harper, who extended his on-base streak to 23 games and his walk streak to 10 games by working a seven-pitch walk from Alcantara.

Also an unusual sight was Kyle Schwarber scoring from first on a double from Trea Turner in the seventh. The relay from the outfield beat Schwarber to the plate, but he managed to swim around the tag for an insurance run, which was confirmed by replay review.

Brandon Marsh made two stellar plays in left field. He made a sliding grab on a line drive in the seventh inning to help out Nola, and then climbed the wall in the corner to snag a foul ball over the outstretched gloves of the fans in that section.

The Phillies scored an early run in the second inning on three consecutive two-out singles. With the bases loaded, catcher Garrett Stubbs sent a soft grounder to shortstop, and managed to beat out Otto Lopez’s throw to first for an infield hit. Stubbs picked up another single in the seventh.

Nola passed the baton to Jonathan Bowlan and Jhoan Duran for a scoreless eighth and ninth inning, respectively. Duran recorded his 28th save of the season.