Aaron Nola allowed two runs on three hits over six innings as the visiting Philadelphia Phillies edged the St. Louis Cardinals 4-3 on a rainy Wednesday afternoon.
Nola (2-1) struck out three batters and walked three as the Phillies finished their six-game road trip with a 4-2 mark.
Matt Strahm, Gregory Soto, Seranthony Dominguez and Jeff Hoffman combined to close out the victory. Hoffman earned his first save.
Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn held the Phillies to one hit and two unearned runs in five innings. He struck out six batters and walked four.
Reliever Andre Pallante (0-1) allowed two sixth inning runs to take the loss.
Ivan Herrera and Brendan Donovan hit solo homers for the Cardinals.
The Phillies took advantage of a fielding mishap to take a 2-0 first-inning lead.
Kyle Schwarber drew a leadoff walk and scored when J.T. Realmuto hit a two-out fly ball that center fielder Victor Scott II failed to catch on the warning track. Alec Bohm followed with a single up the middle to score Realmuto.
Herrera cut the Phillies lead to 2-1 with his second-inning homer.
Philadelphia threatened in the third inning when Trea Turner and Bryce Harper drew one-out walks. But Realmuto popped out and Bohm struck out to strand them.
Donovan’s homer tied the game 2-2 in the bottom of the inning.
The Phillies moved ahead 4-2 in the sixth inning. Realmuto led off with a single, then Bohm walked, and Brandon Marsh and Nick Castellanos followed with RBI singles. Zack Thompson relieved Pallante and allowed a one-out single by Johan Rojas before striking out Schwarber and Turner to leave the bases loaded.
Scott led off the eighth inning with an infield single, but he was thrown out after curving into fair territory. With two outs, Willson Contreras singled and Nolan Gorman walked. Dominguez relieved Soto and allowed Nolan Arenado’s RBI single before retiring Herrera on a tapper back to the mound.
–Field Level Media