Phillies outclass Brewers, 5-2

Phillies starter Aaron Nola baffled the Brewers for 7 innings in winning his first game of the season against two losses.  He finished with seven innings of four hit ball, allowing only one run and striking out seven.  Two relievers finished off the 5-2 win.

The Brewers plated a run in the bottom of the first on a(nother) two out hit, this one a single from Chris Carter.  He plated Scooter Gennett, who had reached with his tenth walk of the season.  Ryan Braun continued his hot hitting with a seeing-eye grounder between third and short, with Scoot taking third on the slow roller.  Darin Ruf's throw to third was weak and inaccurate...perhaps the Brewers had a scouting report or something.

Good defense helped Zack Davies throw scoreless innings in his first three frames.  With two on and two out in the top of the first, Gennett made a diving backhanded stop on a hard hit groundball from Cameron Rupp.  (Scoot was shifted to the thirdbase side of second.)  Gennett threw strongly to first after scrambling to his feet.  In the second and third, the Phils had lead-off singles erased trying to steal by Jonathon Lucroy.

There wasn't anyone on defense to stop the Phils in the  fourth or fifth, though, as Rupp sent a one out double over Braun's head and Ruf beat the shift with a groundball single to rightcenter one out later, scoring the tying run.

The Phillies took a three run lead in the top of the fifth.  After a popout, Odubel Herrera singled, Freddy Galvis tripled, Maikel Franco homered, Ryan Howard flew out to the wall in center, Davies hit Rupp, who stole second, before David Lough fouled out to Luc.

It seemed logical that Davies was done for the night, but he came out for the top of the sixth.  He responded to Craig Counsell's confidence in him ( or lack of confidence in his pen) with a ten pitch 1-2-3 inning, striking out his final two batters faced.

Chris Capuano only saw four hitters in the seventh, but Franco hit a hanging slider over the bullpens in left to extend the Phillies lead to 5-1.  In 11 innings, Cappy now has allowed 3 homers and has a WHIP of 1.73.  He's the best of the Brewers' non-relevant (or losing game) relief corps.  Blaine Boyer pitched a perfect eighth and ninth.  (Boyer is a semi-relevant reliever.)

Brewer bats were almost entirely silent from the second through the eighth, and didn't advance a runner past first after the second inning.  Back to back doubles leading off the bottom of the ninth from Chris Carter and Aaron Hill off of Phillies closer Jeanmar Perez brought the Brewers within 3, but Perez retired the final three to end it.

Saturday's game starts at 6:10, with the Phillies (8-9) sending Charlie Morton to face the Brewers (7-10) and Chase Anderson.