Jesús Luzardo pitches a gem in final start before the All-Star Game in Phillies’ 1-0 win over Reds
Luzardo struck out 11, eight of which came on his signature sweeper, across seven shutout innings. Justin Crawford's eighth inning RBI single pushed across the game's only run.
CINCINNATI — In his final start before his first career All-Star appearance, Jesús Luzardo delivered a performance worthy of the honor.
His five-pitch first inning — the fewest pitches the Phillies lefty has ever thrown in an inning in his career — was a sign of things to come. He mowed down the Reds for seven innings, holding them to two hits. And the offense did just enough to back him up, eking out a 1-0 win to close the series against Cincinnati.
Luzardo struck out 11, eight of which came on his signature sweeper. He generated 12 total swing-and-misses with the pitch.
» READ MORE: Phillies make more bullpen moves by placing Tanner Banks on injured list, recalling Chase Shugart
He outdueled Reds starter Brady Singer, who turned in his best start of the season. Bryson Stott’s double was the Phillies’ only hit against the Reds right hander until Kyle Schwarber singled in the seventh inning, and Schwarber was immediately erased after Bryce Harper grounded into a double play.
Even so, the Phillies were getting solid contact against Singer, with four line outs through the first six innings. They finally broke through in the eighth, thanks to an RBI single from Justin Crawford that found some grass.
The Phillies were only in position to score thanks to some heads-up baserunning. Gabriel Rincones Jr. was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and was replaced with Derek Hill as a pinch-runner.
Hill took off on Singer’s 0-2 pitch to J.T. Realmuto, and when the Phillies catcher sent a chopper to Elly De La Cruz, the double play was off the table. De La Cruz’s only play was to first base, allowing Hill to advance to scoring position as Crawford came to the plate.
Luzardo struck out the side in order in the third and the sixth. The Reds put the leadoff man aboard only once against him, when Eugenio Suárez drew a leadoff walk in the seventh. But he escaped the trouble with two ground balls sandwiched around a strikeout.
The Phillies used Jonathan Bowlan as the setup man for closer Jhoan Duran. Bowlan delivered a 1-2-3 eighth inning, which included striking out De La Cruz on a 99.2 mph fastball.
» READ MORE: Bryce Harper will compete in the Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park
One of the Phillies’ other first-time All-Stars finished it off. Duran wavered at first, allowing the first two Reds in the ninth to reach with a single and hit-by-pitch. But with the winning run on first base, Duran battled back to strike out the next two Reds before inducing a game-ending groundout.
He completed the Phillies’ 11th shutout win of the season.
Dan Baker has been the Phillies' public-address announcer for 54 seasons, the longest active run and third-longest all-time. And on July 14, he will become the first PA announcer to work three All-Star games. He sat down with "Phillies Extra" to discuss his memories from 1976 and 1996 at Veterans Stadium, his favorite names to announce, and more. Watch here.
You can also subscribe to the podcast version of Phillies Extra on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Previous episodes: Ricky Bottalico | Preston Mattingly | Caleb Cotham | Larry Bowa | Joe Maddon | Rhys Hoskins | Terry Francona | Aaron Rowand | Hunter Pence