Jesus Luzardo’s last two starts were... not good. There was worry that whatever magic carried him through the first two months had worn out, or he was dealing with some sort of injury. Regardless of what caused him to be awful in those starts, on Wednesday afternoon, he looked like his early season self. He pitched six strong innings to help the Phillies earn a 7-2 win and series victory over the Cubs.
Luzardo looked strong from the very beginning, striking out the first two batters he faced in a scoreless first inning. There was some concern when the first two Cubs batters singled in the second, but Luzardo struck out the side to get out of that jam.