Nola Falters as Philadelphia Phillies Drop Opening Day Matchup to Rangers
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ARLINGTON, Texas - It wasn't the day the reigning National League champions were hoping for. The Philadelphia Phillies dropped Thursday's contest to the Texas Rangers 11-7.
What stings the most is the fact that the Phillies had jumped out to a five-run lead after the fourth inning. They had tagged Rangers ace Jacob deGrom for five earned runs and chased him after just 3.2 innings.
That's about where the fun ended for Philadelphia.
During the bottom of the very same inning they chased deGrom, Aaron Nola was tagged for five earned runs, just like his opponent in the other dugout, as the Rangers batted around and scored nine runs.
It was the most amount of runs scored in one Opening Day inning since the San Diego Padres did it 1997. Current Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy was the manager then too.
I'm not sure if anyone had deGrom and Nola combining for 10 earned runs in four innings, but I for one did not.
The Phillies were able to put two more up on the board, one in the fifth and one in the seventh.
In the fifth, Alec Bohm singled in Nick Castellanos. Of all the players in Philadelphia's dugout, Bohm looked the best on Thursday. He recorded a home run, double, and single, only a triple shy of the cycle.
He's one to watch as the season goes on as his confidence is sky-high right now coming out of last season and Spring Training.
In the seventh, J.T. Realmuto led off with a triple and then scored on a slow Darick Hall dribbler to second base.
And that was it for the evening.
Jake Cave came close to adding another run, but his home run was robbed by Rangers center fielder Bubba Thompson in the eighth inning.
It was that kind of day for the Phillies.
Scoring seven runs with Aaron Nola on the mound and not winning the ballgame is rare.
But that was Opening Day here at the start of the 2023 MLB season.
It's only one of 162. Nothing to fear yet.
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