Aaron Nola gave his team a chance to win on Friday night. Coming off a strong start against the Royals, the Phillies’ right-hander struck out eight Tigers and limited the damage to a Kevin McGonigle two-run homer over five innings of work.
However, when lefty Tim Mayza entered in the sixth, things quickly unraveled. Mayza had been sporting a 2.81 ERA entering Friday as the most reliable southpaw in the Phillies’ bullpen. Mayza surrendered four runs on five hits and a balk.
Detroit, the American League’s best team since June 1 with a 22-12 record, piled on from there, coming away with a 10-2 win over the Phillies in the series opener at Comerica Park.
Jack Flaherty (3-8) picked up the win, holding the Phillies to two runs over six innings while striking out six. The Tigers’ relief corps kept Philadelphia at bay through the final three innings, with their two runs both coming off the bat of Derek Hill, who was a late fill-in for center fielder Justin Crawford, who was scratched just before first pitch with left knee soreness.