Phillies-Marlins observations: Aaron Nola dominates, Rhys Hoskins homers again in win

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It has gotten to the point where it's a surprise if Rhys Hoskins doesn't do something special in a game.

The rookie sensation hit another home run — his third in two games and 17th in 33 games — to help the Phillies beat the Miami Marlins, 8-1, on Wednesday night.
 
Aaron Nola wasn't too shabby, either. He struck out a career-high 11 in finally beating Miami. He had been 0-3 with a 10.67 ERA in three previous starts against Miami this season.
 
• Hoskins' 17th homer, a two-run shot in the fifth, left him just four shy of Tommy Joseph's team-leading 21. With 17 games left, and at his current pace, Hoskins has a good chance to lead this team in homers, a feat that is both remarkable and sad. It would be remarkable because he did not come up until Aug. 10 and will play in no more than 50 games; sad because none of the full-season Phillies showed more power.
 
• In 33 games, Hoskins is hitting .310 with a .434 on-base percentage and a .784 slugging percentage. His three RBIs left him with 37.
 
• Nola was outstanding in holding a lineup that had given him a lot of problems this season to just four hits and a run over seven innings. Nola walked two. His sinker and breaking ball both had excellent movement down in the zone. Three of Nola's 11 strikeouts came against Marcell Ozuna, who had entered the game 6 for 16 with two homers and six RBIs lifetime against him.
 
• The Phillies' bullpen delivered 10 innings of one-run ball in Tuesday night's 15-inning win. This time the workload was a modest two innings, but Adam Morgan and Victor Arano made them scoreless.
 
• J.P. Crawford got his second straight start at second base while Cesar Hernandez was out of the starting lineup for the second straight game. Hernandez likely will be back in the starting lineup Thursday night. With Hernandez out of the lineup, Pete Mackanin used Odubel Herrera in the leadoff hole for the second straight game. Herrera had three hits and scored two runs on Tuesday night. In this game, he doubled and homered. Herrera likes leading off and it shows in his energy the last two games. It's not clear how the Phillies' lineup will shake out in the future, but it's not difficult to imagine Herrera and Crawford at the top. That's some serious on-base percentage and it could offer Hoskins and Williams the chance to collect a lot of RBIs as the Phillies' lineup comes together.
 
• Herrera's home run, a two-run shot in the sixth, was an absolute bomb to right field against Dan Straily. It came off the bat at 104 mph and traveled 424 feet. You could have had your eyes closed and known it was gone by the impressive sound with which it came off the bat.
 
• The Phillies made a roster move before the game, adding pitcher Henderson Alvarez and placing outfielder Daniel Nava on the 60-day disabled list with a back strain. The Phillies will finish the season with a six-man pitching rotation. Alvarez is expected to start on Sunday against Oakland.
 
• Jake Thompson (1-2, 5.23) pitches against Miami right-hander Jose Urena (13-6, 3.61) in the series finale on Thursday night.

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