A hot streak for Phillies gets put on ice in shutout loss to Guardians

Scott Lauber, The Philadelphia Inquirer on May 9, 2025

Published in Baseball

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CLEVELAND — Bryce Harper and Trea Turner stood there, 127 feet apart, helmets in their hands, on opposite ends of a double play.

It was the fifth inning Friday night, and Turner thought he would try to make something happen. Why not? The Phillies have used their speed a lot lately to force the action. Trailing by one run, this felt like a good time.

But Harper didn’t swing at a curveball that clipped the outside corner for a called third strike, leaving Guardians catcher Bo Naylor a clear view of Turner taking off for second base. Naylor came up throwing and caught him.

Hey, it happens. And when a team scores seven runs or more in eight of 11 games, including three in a row this week in Tampa, it’s due for a clunker.

In that case, clunk. Because the Phillies were held to six hits — none for extra bases or with a runner in scoring position — and Aaron Nola gave up two home runs in a series-opening 6-0 loss on a cool night in Cleveland.

Kyle Manzardo and Angel Martinez took Nola deep in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, to put the Phillies in a hole. And four Guardians pitchers teamed up to mute an offense that mashed in a three-game sweep of the Rays.

The Phillies had Guardians starter Gavin Williams on the ropes early but didn’t take advantage. They had a two-on, no-out threat in the first inning and a bases-loaded, one-out opportunity in the fourth.

Instead of cashing in, the Phillies finished 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.

The Phillies lost for only the second time in seven games and the third time in 12 games.