PHILADELPHIA _ Aaron Nola tinkered with his change-up during each of the past two seasons, but never seemed to find comfort with it. He kept the change-up as his third pitch, opting to lean on the command of his fastball and his dancing curveball.
It was a fine plan. Both pitches were good enough for Nola to become one of baseball's top young pitchers. But it was that third offering _ a fully developed change-up _ that could make Nola elite. And if Tuesday night's 4-2 win over the Giants is evidence, Nola's tinkering has seemed to pay off.
Nola struck out a career-high 12 batters in seven innings. He became the first Phillies starter since Cole Hamels in 2015 to pitch at least seven innings and earn the win in four straight starts. Nola allowed just one run on five hits and no walks. Nola garnered a career-high 26 swinging strikes. Nola lowered his ERA to 2.05 and has allowed just one run in his last 141/3 innings.
Nola threw the change-up for 22 percent of his pitches, but it was the pitch's effectiveness that outweighed the usage. The Giants swung and missed at 10 of his 24 change-ups. The only two change-ups that went for hits were harmless singles.
He kept the pitch low and targeted it in the same spots where he lands his curveball, making it hard to pick up. And he threw it with confidence. He struck out Buster Posey in the first with consecutive change-ups. Brandon Crawford grounded out twice against change-ups. And Evan Longoria sliced one to left for an easy out. The Giants did not seem to have an answer for it.
The win guaranteed the Phillies at least a split with the Giants, who are in town for four games. The Phils have won three of their last four and remain a half game behind Atlanta for first place in the National League. Their pitchers _ led by Nola _ powered them through the season's first month. And now their hitting may be coming around.
Aaron Altherr homered in the second and has 14 hits in his last 14 games with a .993 OPS over that span. Carlos Santana homered for the second-consecutive night. Jorge Alfaro hit a mammoth 474-foot homer to left center. Odubel Herrera singled in a run and reached base for the 37th straight game. The Phillies batted just .234 in April with a .375 slugging percentage. A breakout seemed almost guaranteed.
Nola's fastball and curveball _ the pitches he complimented the change-up with _ possessed their usual bite on Tuesday. The Giants whiffed at nine fastballs and six curveballs. He used the pitches for eight of his strikeouts. It was not just the change-up that the Giants failed to hit. But perhaps it was the change-up that made his already elite pitches even better.
Buster Posey, perhaps the Giants hitter with the deepest track record, stepped in against Nola in the first inning. The catcher had two hits on Monday night and has a higher batting average against the Phillies than any player since 1913. This presented a challenge.
Nola threw Posey three fastballs to jump ahead 1-2. He then tried to get him to chase a change-up. No luck. Another change-up, another ball. The count was full. Nola went back with a third straight change-up and Posey swung through it for strike three. He stayed persistent with the change-up. The pitch _ the one Nola seemed to tinker with for so long _ was working and a masterful night was underway.
