PHOENIX -- In a rotation that features the runner-up for the National League Cy Young Award in three of the past five seasons between Zack Wheeler (2021 and ’24) and Cristopher Sánchez (’25 and possibly this season), it’s Jesús Luzardo who has been the Phillies’ rock for the better part of the last three months.
That trend continued on Tuesday as the left-hander held the D-backs to one run in 6 2/3 innings in a 7-1 win at Chase Field that launched the Phillies into sole possession of the top NL Wild Card spot and closed the gap in the NL East to three games behind the Braves.
The Phillies had a run in, thanks to Trea Turner’s RBI double off the center-field wall, and runners on the corners with no outs against Eduardo Rodriguez in the first inning, but the D-backs lefty settled in and held the Phils to three runs in five innings.
That was enough for Luzardo, who limited the damage to a Jordan Lawlar solo homer in the fifth. He struck out six and walked one while scattering six hits. Luzardo did leave two men on for Jonathan Bowlan in the seventh with the score still 3-1, but the righty struck out Geraldo Perdomo to escape the jam.
The Phillies have won 15 of their last 17 games and are an MLB-best 22-7 since the start of August, and Luzardo is a big reason why. In fact, they’ve won 13 of his 15 starts since June 10. He’s gone 9-1 with a 1.86 ERA in that stretch, and he’s second in the NL in strikeouts on the season with 209, behind only Jacob Misiorowski’s 222.
Luzardo may not have gotten the awards recognition received by some of his rotation mates, but that is likely to change if he keeps up this pace. Entering the day, Luzardo had the fourth-highest fWAR among all MLB pitchers since the start of 2025 with a 10.3 mark. He trails only Sánchez (12.2), Tarik Skubal (10.7) and Paul Skenes (10.6).
Andrew Painter will try to keep the starting-pitching momentum going when he faces the D-backs in Wednesday’s finale. The Phillies will be looking for their fifth sweep in their last six series.