Luzardo Dominates Braves with 12 Strikeouts in Career-First Shutout

Jesus Luzardo struck out 12 batters and allowed just two hits over nine innings in the Phillies' 1-0 victory over the Braves.

Jesus Luzardo (14-5) struck out 12 batters and allowed only two hits in his first career shutout to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 1-0 win over the Atlanta Braves on Monday. The game, which lasted 1 hour and 51 minutes, stands as the fastest in MLB this season and the quickest nine-inning contest for the franchise since 1989. Luzardo threw 109 pitches, including 78 strikes, and did not issue a walk until the ninth inning.

Kyle Schwarber provided the game's only run by hitting his MLB-leading 43rd home run in the eighth inning against reliever Didier Fuentes. The blast into the second deck marked Schwarber's 11th career go-ahead homer in the eighth inning or later. The Phillies managed just four hits total in the contest and left the bases loaded in the first inning against Braves starter Grant Holmes.

Luzardo utilized his sweeper to generate 12 swings-and-misses while recording five strikeouts on his fastball. Over his last 21 starts, the left-hander has maintained a 1.93 ERA across 135 innings. With this victory, Philadelphia salvaged a split of the four-game series and reduced Atlanta's lead in the NL East to four games. The two teams are scheduled to meet for a three-game series in Atlanta next weekend.