The Most Important Parts of Phillies' First Blowout Win of 2026

It counted the same as any other win, but Friday's 10-1 blowout at Coors Field was one the Phillies needed on multiple levels.

Preserving the closer

First and foremost, the team needed a laugher. All three Phillies wins on the opening homestand were narrow, decided by a combined four runs. Closer Jhoan Duran won one and saved the other two, appearing four times in the first six games. In order to preserve him, the Phillies need to win games by more than a run or two.

Friday's result was never in doubt after the top of the first inning, not even at Coors Field where games are rarely out of reach. The Phils scored seven runs in the opening frame off Michael Lorenzen, going double, walk, walk, two-run single, RBI double, strikeout, three-run homer, double, groundout, RBI single, groundout.

Lineup catharsis

After hitting .164/.263/.293 in the first six games, the Phillies' 1 through 5 of Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott went 10-for-20, scored eight runs and drove in seven.

Just like that, Turner's up to .267 and Schwarber has a .975 OPS. Harper has homered in back-to-back games and driven in a run in three straight. The confines and climate at Coors Field certainly helped, as did the Rockies' pitiful pitching staff, but all that means is this road series was well-timed for an offense that had been scuffling.

Bryce Harper crushes his second homer of 2026 💪 pic.twitter.com/HzsCDgFVM0
— MLB (@MLB) April 3, 2026

The biggest blow of Friday's first inning was Marsh's 454-foot, three-run homer. He has been the most consistent Phillies hitter so far, reaching base in all seven games and going 8-for-25 (.320) with two doubles, a homer, five RBI and two walks. While the Phillies hadn't gotten much out of the first five hitters in their batting order before Friday, their 6, 7 and 9 hitters — Adolis Garcia, Marsh and Justin Crawford — are all over .300 in the early going.

The Phils have now won five straight games at Coors Field, hitting .326 and scoring 37 runs. They're just 2-8-2 in their last 12 series in Colorado, with the two series wins coming in 2023 and 2025. They'll claim another with a win on Saturday or Sunday.

A 454-FOOT SHOT FOR BRANDON MARSH! 🚀 pic.twitter.com/JJtSlyjHaj
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 3, 2026

Nola shines

The Rockies were taken out of the series opener, their 2026 home opener, before even coming to the plate, but the other half of that equation was Aaron Nola, who prevented them from building any momentum.

Nothing is a given with Nola based on how quickly his starts can go sideways. He has been prone to the big inning throughout his career and especially over the last four seasons.

Nola had three 1-2-3 innings and scattered only five hits over his 6⅓ innings. The lone run he allowed came after consecutive singles in the bottom of the fourth were followed by three straight groundouts.

Plenty of good and great pitchers have been unable to solve the thin air and extra hits of Coors Field over the years, but Nola has always been OK in Denver. In seven career starts, he has a 3.65 ERA and 1.17 WHIP. All seven of the starts have been solid:

• 6⅓ IP, 1 ER
• 6 IP, 2 ER
• 7 IP, 4 ER
• 5⅓ IP, 2 ER
• 7 IP, 4 ER
• 5⅔ IP, 3 ER
• 7 IP, 2 ER

Nola's next start will be the final game of the Phillies' West Coast road trip on Wednesday in San Francisco.

Middle relief

Three Phillies relievers came in and stifled the Rockies after Nola and it was important to get two of them in a more confident place.

Low-sidearm lefty Kyle Backhus recorded the final two outs of the seventh inning after Nola was pulled at 95 pitches. It was a quick, nine-pitch outing for Backhus after he allowed three runs in the ninth inning on Opening Day, forcing Duran into the game, and then put two men on base in the series finale against Texas.

Fellow lefty Tim Mayza pitched a scoreless eighth inning. He's made three appearances covering five innings, hasn't allowed a run and has put just two men on base via a single and walk. Lefties are 0-for-9 against him with four strikeouts and righties are 1-for-7 with two K's.

Zach Pop struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth after walking the leadoff hitter. Eight of the final nine pitches he threw were strikes, and his sinker maxed out at 96 mph. Pop had a shaky outing against the Rangers in the third game of the season, but his other three appearances have been hitless and scoreless.