Field Level Media
Jul 9, 2018
Aaron Nola earned his National League-leading 12th win Monday night, allowing only one hit over seven innings as the visiting Philadelphia Phillies beat the New York Mets 3-1 to earn a split of a doubleheader at Citi Field.
Nola also delivered the Phillies' first hit, a three-run double in the fifth inning.
The Mets won the first game, 4-3, on Wilmer Flores' 10th-inning walk-off homer.
The two teams combined for just four hits in the nightcap, when the Phillies snapped a two-game losing streak and the Mets lost for the 31st time in 42 games.
Flores had both of New York's hits in the second game Monday -- a single with two outs in the first against Nola and an RBI double off Tommy Hunter with two outs in the ninth.
After Flores' single, Nola, who was named to his first All-Star team on Sunday, retired the next 18 batters, only two of whom hit the ball into the outfield. Nola's streak ended when he walked Michael Conforto with two outs in the seventh, but he ended his night by recording his 10th strikeout, a whiff of Dominic Smith.
Nola (12-2) saved his best for the plate, where the lifetime .073 career hitter, who entered Monday with one double and three RBIs in 155 plate appearances, doubled to right to clear the bases against Corey Oswalt (0-2). The Mets rookie entered the fifth inning with a perfect game before he walked three batters.
Carlos Santana, who walked leading off the fifth, delivered an infield single off the glove of Jose Reyes in the ninth inning to end an unusual pursuit of history by the Mets and Phillies. The last time two teams both had one hit or fewer in a game was Sept 9, 1965, when the Los Angeles Dodgers had one hit and Sandy Koufax threw a perfect game in a 1-0 win over the Chicago Cubs.
Hunter tossed 1 2/3 innings before being pulled for Victor Arano, who gave up Flores' game-winning homer in Game 1 but struck out pinch hitter Devin Mesoraco in Game 2 to earn his third save.
Oswalt, who was making his third career start, allowed three runs on one hit and three walks while striking out seven.
--Field Level Media