PHILADELPHIA – Max Scherzer and Aaron Nola had a pitchers’ duel ruined by rain. The Phillies saw their winning streak spoiled by a soggy bullpen.
Corey Seager and Max Muncy homered as the Los Angeles Dodgers ended Philadelphia’s win string at eight, beating the Phillies 5-0 on Tuesday night.
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Scherzer and Nola combined for 13 strikeouts over a combined 7 1/3 innings in a scoreless matchup before heavy rain delayed the game in the bottom of the fourth inning for 1 hour, 44 minutes.
“They both were dealing and kind of having their way with the lineups,” Dodgers second baseman Trea Turner said.
Neither star pitcher returned when the game resumed.
The gripping performances ended in a whimper and Phillies fans booed when reliever J.D. Hammer (1-1) headed to the bullpen to warm up at the end of the delay.
With the Phillies riding their longest winning streak in 10 years, the boos still rose when the bullpen failed to keep them in the game. Seager hit a solo shot off Hammer in the fifth inning for his fifth homer of the year. Will Smith had an RBI single off Matt Moore that sent Turner gliding across the plate for a 2-0 lead. AJ Pollock added a two-RBI single off Enyel De Los Santos to make it 4-0.
“It's just how I slide, I guess,” Turner said. “ I try not to hit the ground too hard because it doesn’t feel good. I try and be as soft as I can be on slides.”
Muncy added his 23rd homer of the year in the ninth. Alex Vesia (2-1) got the win in a game that finished shortly before 12:30 a.m.
The winning streak coming off Sunday's retired jersey ceremony for the late Roy Halladay -- which returned so many stars from their 2007-2011 postseason heyday -- created a buzz in Philly and a crowd 28,333 turned out Tuesday before rain sent most of them packing.
“You saw the passion of the fans and how excited they get,” manager Joe Girardi said hours before the delay. “It was a great weekend. With everything, the ceremonies that we had, the importance of the series, the way we played, those are the things you look forward to.”
Scherzer vs. Nola gave the game some juice.
Boy, did they deliver.
Nola fanned Turner to start the game, then Muncy and Smith. He relied on his breaking stuff and struck out the side again in the third and finished with seven strikeouts -- all swinging -- in four innings.
“He's a pretty funky guy,” Turner said. “I always thought he was a tough at-bat. When you don't get to see him often, he can make it tough on you.”
Scherzer, who was still in DC when he recently feuded with Girardi over sticky stuff, was just as sharp. He struck out surging MVP candidate Bryce Harper in the fourth for his sixth strikeout. Jean Segura singled and then the rain fell, in a hurry.
There was not a sprinkle in the sky one second and the floodgates opened the next, sending the teams scurrying off the field and the grounds crew going on it at an Allyson Felix pace with the tarp.
Minus the rain, this one had a postseason feel.
The Phillies’ winning streak was their longest since they won nine straight from July 29 - Aug. 6, 2011. The Phillies led the majors with 185 runs scored since July 1 and have hit the most home runs in that span with 54, entering Tuesday.
Scherzer, who struck out six in 3 1/3 innings, and six relievers combined for 15 strikeouts in the shutout. Phillies pitchers also struck out 15.
“We still had some opportunities to come up with the big hit like we have been able to as of late," Girardi said. "It's very unfortunate that the rain came”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Dodgers: OF Mookie Betts was a late scratch with a sore right hip that could send him to the injured list. ... 3B Justin Turner also is expected to miss the Phillies’ series with left groin pain. “I don’t see him coming back any sooner than Friday in New York,” manager Dave Roberts said. ... RHP Joe Kelly (undisclosed) was placed on the injured list. RHP Corey Knebel (right lat strain) was activated.
Phillies: 1B Rhys Hoskins was placed on the 10-day IL with a left groin strain and they recalled OF Mickey Moniak from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Hoskins leads the Phillies with 24 homers and 68 RBIs and will be out through the rest of the homestand that ends Sunday. ... OF Andrew McCutchen (left knee) should be set to come off the injured list on Wednesday.
BRITO STRONG
The Phillies wore T-shirts that said “Brito Strong” in recognition of minor league infielder Daniel Brito, who collapsed during a game last week.
UP NEXT
The Phillies send RHP Kyle Gibson (8-3, 2.79 ERA) to the mound against LA LHP David Price (4-1, 3.53 ERA).
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