​Aaron Nola was serviceable again, but Tim Mayza endured one of the worst innings of his nine-year big league career as the Philadelphia Phillies fell apart late in a 10-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers. The Phillies, now 52-43, never recovered after a rough stretch that doomed them in the late frames, allowing Detroit to pull away.
Derek Hill started the Tigers’ scoring in the third with his seventh home run of the year off Nola for the game’s first run. Kevin McGonigle, a Delco legend and a Rookie of the Year hopeful, answered in the bottom of the third with a two-run homer off Nola to put Detroit in front, making it 2-1. The Phillies tied it when Alec Bohm reached on a hit-by-pitch, and Bryce Harper and Bryson Stott drew walks to load the bases. Hill then singled home Harper to level the score.
Nola exited after five innings and 84 pitches, finishing with eight strikeouts. He gave way to Mayza for the sixth inning, where trouble quickly followed. Riley Greene and Matt Vierling drew walks to set the table for Eduardo Valenzuela, who singled home Greene to reclaim the lead for Detroit. A perfectly-timed bunt by Zach McKinstry on the first-base side prompted Mayza to hesitate; his throw to first was late, allowing Vierling to score from third. James Outman then ripped a three-base hit to right-center, scoring both runners and stretching the Tigers’ lead to four. Moments later, Mayza balked in Outman to cap the inning’s damage. The five runs allowed by Mayza tied his career high, a mark he previously set against the Yankees on June 28, 2024, without recording an out.
Max Lazar followed with a solid seventh, conceding a solo homer to Colt Keith and a two-run shot to Spencer Torkelson to cap the scoring at 10-2. Garrett Stubbs delivered a clean, 1-2-3 eighth inning with four pitches, the fastest clocking in at 46 mph.
Offensively, Hill added a third hit with a one-out single in the seventh, while Brandon Marsh delivered the Phillies’ only other hit through eight innings—a hard-hit single in the eighth. According to the broadcast, it marked the 38th time since 1901 that a batter recorded a three-hit game while the rest of the team managed only one hit.
Looking ahead, Cristopher Sánchez will start against Casey Mize tomorrow night in the second-to-last game before the All-Star break, as the Phillies seek to regroup and head into the break on a stronger note. This matchup promises to be a critical tune-up as Philadelphia aims to tighten its approach at the plate and minimize the bullpen’s occasional teetering moments, with an eye toward finishing the first half on a higher note and building momentum for the stretch run.