Luzardo Deals, Crawford Delivers in 1-0 Phillies Gem
Jesus Luzardo threw 7.0 innings of two-hit, zero-run ball with 11 strikeouts, and that was almost enough by itself. Almost — because it still took Justin Crawford's eighth-inning single to right to actually put a run on the board.
Thursday's game in Cincinnati was a pitcher's duel from the first pitch, and Luzardo was the dominant force at the center of it. He went 7.0 innings, allowing just 2 hits and 2 walks while punching out 11 batters without surrendering a single earned run. Brady Singer matched the intensity for Cincinnati, going 7.1 innings and giving up just 1 earned run on 4 hits with 5 strikeouts — a performance that, on most nights, earns you a win. This was not most nights.
The only run of the game came in the eighth inning, and it was the single play that decided everything. Crawford singled to right, scoring Hill to make it PHI 1, CIN 0. That one swing of the bat sent Cincinnati's win probability crashing from 47% to 26% — a 21-point collapse in a single at-bat. Crawford finished 1-for-3 with that lone RBI, and it looks like that's all the Phillies needed to pack up and leave with a win. Brandon Marsh was the most active bat in the Philadelphia lineup, going 2-for-4, while Kyle Schwarber and Bryson Stott each went 1-for-4. For Cincinnati, JJ Bleday and Tyler Stephenson each went 1-for-4, but the Reds simply couldn't push anything across against a Philadelphia staff that was locked in from start to finish.
After Luzardo exited, the Philadelphia bullpen slammed the door. Jhoan Duran worked a clean 1.0 inning — 1 hit, 0 runs, 2 strikeouts. Jonathan Bowlan followed with a perfect 1.0 inning of his own — 0 hits, 0 runs, 1 strikeout. The story of the night, without question, was Philadelphia's pitching: three arms, 9.0 combined innings, 2 hits allowed, 0 runs, 14 strikeouts. Cincinnati managed just 3 hits across the entire game and never seriously threatened after Singer left. With the All-Star break approaching and Philadelphia hosting the Midsummer Classic next week, this appears to be exactly the kind of tight, professional win a contender wants heading into the pause. The Phillies got it done with one swing and three dominant arms.