Jesus Luzardo keeps stacking up dominant outings, and Tuesday night in Arizona was no exception.
The Phillies left-hander worked 6.2 innings, gave up one run on six hits, struck out six and issued one walk. Even after that, he was still annoyed he couldn’t finish the seventh inning.
He appears to be feeling better in the dugout. pic.twitter.com/y5UMJGm0pq
- Destiny Lugardo (@destiny_lugardo) September 2, 2026
That kind of reaction fits the way Luzardo has been pitching all summer. He’s been easy to overlook at times, even while the Phillies have sorted through Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter finding their footing, Cris Sanchez dealing, Zack Wheeler struggling, Bryce Harper heating up and the Luis Arraez acquisition grabbing attention. Through it all, Luzardo has kept rolling.
Since August 1st, he has the best ERA in baseball. Over his last six starts, he has thrown 41 innings and allowed only six earned runs and 27 hits.
He has given up three home runs and 12 extra-base hits, while striking out 52 batters, which is also the top mark in that span. Gavin Williams is second with 49 strikeouts since August 1st.
Luzardo’s only rough outing in the last two months came in Miami, where he was tagged for six runs, but that start has been the exception rather than the rule. Most nights this summer, he has looked every bit like an ace.
The rest of the Phillies’ rotation has also started to show up on the same kind of lists. Sanchez and Nola are both among the top 20 in ERA over the past month or so.
Painter’s 3.95 ERA in that stretch is solid work for a pitcher who was sent down earlier in the season and is now the fifth starter. Wheeler, after some uneven results, looked much more like himself on Sunday against the Angels, firing six innings of one-run, four-hit ball.
The Phillies have already taken the series in Arizona, and the upcoming games against the Braves loom large.
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