Phillies Ride Strong Nola Start and Early Offense, Down Padres 4-3 to Win Important Series
May 26, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola (27) throws a pitch during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images
The Philadelphia Phillies rode a great start from Aaron Nola and early offense, thanks to the long ball, to take a 4-3 win over the San Diego Padres, getting them a series win in a very important series in Southern California.
The Phillies came in with the starting pitching on fire. Over the last four games, the starters threw 26.1 innings with two earned runs for a 0.68 ERA, 21 strikeouts, and allowed only seven walks. They would need a fifth great start from Nola to compensate for the recent trend of quiet bats.
The first inning got the bats started quickly with Bryce Harper hitting a loud line drive home run.
In the next inning, J.T. Realmuto hit an equally loud home run into the second deck of the Western Supply Co. seats in left.
In the next inning, Trea Turner added on a home run, ending an 0-18 streak, and Alec Bohm drove in another run to make it 4-0.
Manny Machado hit a 2-run home run off of Nola, to make the game 4-2. It stayed that way until Ramon Laureano hit a solo home run to make it 4-3, but that was where it would stand because Jhoan Duran came in to save the game in the ninth.
The Phillies Bats Come Alive in San Diego
In the first three innings, the Phillies put up four runs on San Diego starter Randy Vasquez, and it came by the way of the long ball. The first was by Harper, with Realmuto and Turner adding some power, and Bohm adding on a run in the third. The pattern was only broken in the fourth inning when Jackson Merrill robbed Edmundo Sosa of a home run to end the frame. It wasn’t just the long ball that was impressive in the game; the Phils were hitting the ball well and getting into advantageous counts all game.
This is when the Phils are at their best as an offense. Though this was the only scoring the Phils would do in the game, they continued to hit the ball better, but the common issue of them not hitting well with runners in scoring position came back to bite them again. They had Brandon Marsh standing on third with two outs, and they couldn’t capitalize. In the 8th, with the Phils up by two, they had the bases loaded with 2 outs, and Justin Crawford grounded out weakly to first to end the inning. An overall improvement needs to be made to the way the team hits both with runners in scoring position and with two outs. Over this stretch of offensive ineptitude, these issues have been amplified and are an area that needs to be improved quickly.
Nola Throws Fifth Consecutive Phillies Great Start
Nola pitched very well in the game. In the early innings, he was living low in the zone and using the breaking pitches to set up the sinker, which he was also keeping low. In the first four innings, the Padres were averaging a 78 MPH exit velocity, which is the best stretch of the season for Nola. In addition to missing the bats, he was also staying inside the zone, not walking anyone in this start. You can tell that he was on because in his six innings, he only threw 80 pitches, which is huge for him.
The only blemish was that he gave up a single to Gavin Sheets on a 4-seam fastball, and on the next pitch, he hung a sinker to Machado, which he deposited in the seats for a 2-run home run, making the score 4-2. Coming into this game, Nola’s 4-seam fastball has the lowest run value of any pitcher in baseball at -13. The home run he gave up was on a sinker, but the fastball control wasn’t there again in this start. Since the gradual drop in Nola’s velocity, he has started using the sinker more effectively, but the fastball needs to be placed better if he wants to continue using it. Leaving it up will not work at 94 MPH, as it did at 97MPH. When the percentage of fastballs is lower, like in this game, he tends to do better in the games.
Marsh Leaves the Game in the Fourth
In the first inning, after Harper hit his home run, Marsh singled and was standing on first base, with Bohm at the plate. Marsh got a bit too much of a lead, and Padres catcher Freddy Fermin threw behind Marsh and picked him off first. When he slid back into first, Marsh’s fingers extended, he slid right into the tag of France, and his glove caught Marsh’s fingers and looked to jam them.
He tried to battle through it, including going into the clubhouse and taping them to try to stabilize them. In his second at-bat, his swing obviously wasn’t bothered as he hit a sharp line drive single, but he was replaced shortly after for Adolis Garcia.
After the game, manager Don Mattingly explained that he was removed as a precaution, mostly because throwing the ball could be an issue for him. He was diagnosed with a sprained finger, and Mattingly confirmed that he is day-to-day at this point.
Steve Hamilton
Steve may have been born in California, but don’t let that fool you. After dating a local woman and clashing with her and her family over sports for decades, he has an affinity for Philly sports. Balancing love for Philly and Bay Area sports teams may seem impossible, we can all agree that the Cowboys are the true evil.
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