Cardinals pounce on Aaron Nola to split doubleheader with Phillies: ‘What could go wrong, went wrong’

A few hours after holding the St. Louis Cardinals to a single run in their 2-1 win Wednesday afternoon, the Phillies gave up the most runs they’ve allowed since last July 29 with a 14-7 loss in the night game.

Starting the second game of the doubleheader, Aaron Nola couldn’t keep the ball in the park. He allowed a career-high nine runs and 12 hits, eight of which were hit harder than 95 mph. The Cardinals smashed three homers.

“I mean, what could go wrong, went wrong,” Nola said.

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A few weeks ago, Nola felt like he’d turned a corner after solid starts against the Diamondbacks and the Cubs. But Wednesday marked his shortest outing so far this season, 3⅔ innings. He has a 1-7 record and a 6.16 ERA.

“A lot of hits, man, home runs,” Nola said. “But I mean, [when I got to] two strikes, for sure, it’s frustrating, I didn’t put them away. My put-away stuff wasn’t good tonight, obviously, got to really work on that.”

The Cardinals swung 44 times on Nola’s pitches, and only whiffed six times.

“I don’t really have another answer for tonight besides ‘terrible,’” Nola said.

St. Louis starter Sonny Gray had almost as much trouble with the Phillies, who scored seven on him. After the offense only mustered a single extra-base hit in the first game — a double from Bryce Harper — J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber, and Alec Bohm all went deep in Game 2.

But St. Louis continued to run up the score, adding three more runs in the eighth inning.

Taijuan Walker, making his second appearance out of the bullpen this season, pitched two scoreless frames in the sixth and seventh innings as his velocity continued to tick up. But he struggled with his command in the eighth, allowing two singles, a walk, and a wild pitch that allowed the Cardinals to score a run. Another run was unearned after a fly ball popped out of Brandon Marsh’s glove in center field, his first error of the year.

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“[Walker’s] first two innings were really good,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “It looked like maybe he was getting a little bit tired there at the end, but jeez, the 95 [mph sinker] and split was just diving. Filled the strike zone up. I thought he was really good.”

The Cardinals tacked on two more runs against Carlos Hernández in the ninth. He gave up three hits and a walk.

The pitching performances in Game 1 were starkly different. Jesús Luzardo held St. Louis to a single run. He gave up five hits, two walks, and hit one batter in seven innings, but did not allow a Cardinal to advance past second base until the seventh. Iván Herrera doubled and was driven home on a single by Jordan Walker that broke the scoreless stalemate.

“I thought he was fantastic,” Thomson said. “I mean, everything about him. Commanded his fastball, changeup was really good. Slider was really good. First-pitch strikes, attacked the zone.”

Luzardo struck out six, four of which came on his sweeper, which he added to his arsenal this offseason. He also threw 22 changeups, a pitch he hasn’t turned to as much in previous starts.

“It’s just all about keeping hitters off your pattern,” Luzardo said. “I think we got sweeper happy a good bit the last couple times out, and this time through we just wanted to mix it up a little bit.”

Singles from pinch-hitting Weston Wilson, Rafael Marchán, Bryson Stott, and Harper scored the Phillies’ only two runs in the seventh inning of Game 1.

The bullpen was stronger in the first game, too. José Alvarado entered in the eighth, and got into some trouble after allowing a single and a walk. But Orion Kerkering took over with one out and runners on second and third to face Nolan Arenado. He induced a pop-up by Arenado and struck out Willson Contreras looking to strand both runners.

Jordan Romano struck out the side in the ninth for his fourth save. The reliever has not allowed a run in his last six appearances.

“He’s got a lot of confidence right now,” Thomson said.

Schwarber saw his on-base streak come to an end at 47 in the first game after he went 0-for-4. He fell just short of tying Bobby Abreu’s 48 straight games for third-longest in franchise history. Mike Schmidt’s 56-game streak stands as the franchise record.

“It‘s been a big story nationally, and he’s deserved it, because he’s put together great at-bats all year,” Thomson said.

Schwarber walked and hit his 15th homer in the second game to remain tied with Aaron Judge for the major league lead.