Queens, NY— Aaron Nola delivered one of his best performances of the season Thursday night, and the Philadelphia Phillies continued their push toward the postseason with a 3-0 victory over the New York Mets at Citi Field.
Nola held the Mets to just three hits across seven scoreless innings, while Philadelphia’s offense did just enough to provide the veteran right-hander with the support he needed.
The victory moved the Phillies to 85-68, pulling them even with the Chicago Cubs for the top National League wild-card position. Philadelphia also trimmed its deficit in the NL East to four games behind the division-leading Atlanta Braves.
But the game was overshadowed by a frightening sixth-inning collision that left Mets first baseman Jared Young motionless on the field before he was taken to a hospital.
Young was injured while attempting to field a slow ground ball from Justin Crawford. As Young and Mets pitcher Nolan McLean converged on the ball, McLean’s knee struck Young in the head.
The collision immediately brought play to a halt.
Young remained on the ground as medical personnel attended to him before he was eventually taken from the field by cart. Mets manager Andy Green later said Young’s CT scan was negative but that the first baseman was experiencing concussion symptoms.
The Phillies had already established control of the game before the injury.
Nola was nearly untouchable through the first five innings, keeping New York hitless until Nick Morabito broke through with a one-out single in the sixth.
The right-hander responded by limiting the damage and continued his strong recent run. Nola finished with four strikeouts and three walks, improving to 4-2 with a 2.07 ERA over his last 10 starts.
Philadelphia’s offense gave him an early lead.
Bryce Harper delivered an RBI single, while Luis Arraez and Crawford each contributed a sacrifice fly as the Phillies manufactured their three runs without needing a home run.
Nolan McLean kept the Mets within striking distance, allowing one run on seven hits and three walks over five innings while striking out five. However, New York’s offense could not generate the timely hit it needed against Nola and the Philadelphia bullpen.
The Phillies nearly lost one of their key relievers in the eighth inning.
Jonathan Bowlan recorded two outs before leaving the game with right groin tightness. He departed while facing Francisco Lindor with the count even at 2-2.
Phillies manager Don Mattingly said Bowlan would be re-evaluated Friday.
Jhoan Duran then took over in the ninth and slammed the door. He surrendered one hit while recording his 32nd save in 34 opportunities.
The shutout was Philadelphia’s major league-leading 19th of the season, marking the club’s highest total since recording 21 shutouts in 2011.
For New York, the offensive struggles continued. Thursday’s loss marked the Mets’ 15th shutout of the season, the second-most in the majors behind Cincinnati’s 17.
With the regular season entering its final stretch, the Phillies are gaining momentum at an important time.
Philadelphia now sits at 85-68 and remains firmly involved in both the wild-card race and the NL East chase. The Phillies will return Friday looking to continue their push while the Mets attempt to generate some much-needed offense.
Up Next:
Newly acquired right-hander José Urquidy, 2-2 with a 5.28 ERA, is expected to pitch for Philadelphia on Friday in some capacity. The Mets are scheduled to counter with left-hander Zac Thornton, who enters at 4-5 with a 3.44 ERA.
