Let’s just get the miserable truth out of the way first. Aaron Nola was really good tonight. Really, really good. He kept a no-hitter going through six and 2⁄3 innings, and his offense supported him the whole way. This was a very bad game for the Tigers.
But not as bad as it could have been! Nick Maton broke up the no-hitter with a three run home run in the top of the seventh to keep the Tigers from getting no-hit and shut out. Yay Nick.
Since we don’t need to get bogged down in the ugly first part of the game, I’ll just show you how the Phillies managed to have a 5-run lead going into the seventh. The scoring started early in the first as Joey Wentz walked Kyle Schwarber, gave up a single to Nick Castellanos, then a single to Trea Turner to score Schwarber. Their second run came in the second, with a single to Dalton Guthrie, then a Castellanos double to score Guthrie.
With two on the board, this happened in the third to lead things off.
The fourth was blessedly scoreless, but in the fifth Castellanos walked, then stole second on a wild pitch. Harper singled to score Castellanos, and then Turner did this:
And thus the Phillies were up five runs with an active no-hitter and two outs in the seventh inning.
But then we had this moment.
Which we only got to savor briefly because the Phillies just kept piling on runs. Mason Englert, who had been strong for over an inning of work, let the wheels fall off a little in the bottom of the seventh. Bryce Harper singled, then Turner singled, then a J.T. Realmuto double scored both baserunners. Realmuto successfully stole third, and an Edmundo Sosa single brought him home. A Guthrie walk ended the day for Englert probably a few runners too late and gave way to Chasen Shreve who finished off the inning.
The Tigers were scoreless in the eighth and ninth, and would have to settle for being spoilers rather than victors.
Final: Phillies 8, Tigers 3