Aaron Nola tossed four-hit ball over seven shutout innings and Nick Castellanos hit a three-run homer to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to their fourth straight win, 5-0 over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.
The Phillies may have put their summer malaise behind them over the last two weeks, winning the last two games of a series in Kansas City and the first two games of a three-game set against Houston. The Phillies have won eight of 13 games overall and maintained their healthy lead in the NL East -- six games ahead of Atlanta, entering Tuesday -- and are again playing like the team that opened as one of the best teams in baseball into the All-Star break.
Nola earned a needed win after going winless in his last seven starts, a span that included five no-decisions and two losses. The right-hander last won a game on July 11, against the Dodgers. Nola struck out two in the first inning, getting his 56th career win at Citizens Bank Park off to a fast start. The 56 wins ties him with former Phillies ace Cole Hamels for most in the 21 seasons at the ballpark.
Nola earned a rousing standing ovation from the crowd of almost 40,000 fans after he finished the seventh. He struck out six and walked one over his 102 pitches.sliced a single to left that set the stage for Castellanos. Castellanos hit a curveball into the left field seats for his 18th homer of the year and a 4-0 lead.
At 41 years, 189 days, Verlander is the oldest active pitcher in the major leagues. While the three-time Cy Young Award winner missed this season with neck stiffness and right shoulder inflammation, he remained a pivotal part of the rotation as Houston chases an AL West crown.Phillies LHP José Alvarado was expected to return this season after he was placed a day earlier on the restricted list for a personal matter. The 29-year-old Alvarado has a 4.30 ERA in 56 appearances this season.
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