CINCINNATI — Jesús Luzardo has been the true middle of the Phillies’ rotation in 2026.

Entering Thursday, Philadelphia was 25-8 in starts made by Zack Wheeler or Cristopher Sánchez this year. The Phillies were 12-6 in Luzardo’s starts, while all other starters were 14-28.

The Phillies’ Peruvian-born southpaw has had his dominant outings. He has had his blow-up outings.

More recently, though, his starts have been cut from the same cloth.

A dominant one.

When Wheeler, Sánchez and Luzardo are all rolling at the top, it makes it feel like this club can handle just about anything in front of them.

If all three are doing this come postseason time, look out. There is always a way to October baseball, but the Phillies are getting a glimpse of their rotation’s ceiling as those three continue to one-up one another.

On Thursday, the Phillies and Reds both struggled mightily at the plate. But one late run was all Philadelphia needed in a 1-0 win, clinching the series at Great American Ball Park.

LUZARDO’S SURGE

It is hard to find a starting pitcher more locked in than the newly named first-time All-Star Luzardo.

Over his last five outings entering Thursday, the lefty registered a 1.78 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings.

Two-thirds of those strikeouts, 30 of them, came against his otherworldly sweeper. No matter who he faces, that pitch remains one of the toughest in baseball. He showed that again against the Reds.

Luzardo racked up 11 strikeouts Thursday. Eight came with the sweeper.

The pitch has looked especially sharp lately. Luzardo said he did not have the same feel for it early in the season.

“I almost felt like I threw it so much last year that I forgot how to throw it,” Luzardo said. “I feel like I got back in the rhythm of the feel for it, finding the zone with it and then finding the swing and miss underneath the zone as well.”

That has been the key. Luzardo has been able to land the sweeper when he needs a strike and bury it when he wants chase.

“Just kind of finding that good mix of when to use it inside the zone, when to use it outside,” Luzardo said.

What allowed him to remain so effective with it late in counts was his ability to get ahead with his other pitches.

Five of seven first-pitch strikes with his four-seamer. Three of four with his changeup. Three of six with his sinker.

“Lately, thankfully, I feel like stuff’s been feeling pretty good,” Luzardo said. “Just coming out with a good mentality, trying to get ahead and stay on the attack the whole time.”

Mattingly saw the Reds trying to jump him early. Luzardo kept winning those counts anyway.

“He was on his game,” Mattingly said. “It’s fun to watch him when he’s got that sweeper going. They swung early, they looked like they were trying to be aggressive, and him getting ahead in the count kept his pitch count down.”

Make it six straight dominant starts. A 1.45 ERA. A 13.5 strikeouts per nine, the highest rate in the National League across that span. And he has produced a 1.38 ERA on the road, the second lowest in the sport.

Remarkable.

He finished his night with seven scoreless innings. The Phillies now have double-digit games with 10 strikeouts, also the second most in MLB.

The next time Luzardo takes the ball will very likely be in the 96th Midsummer Classic at his home ballpark.

“Heading into the All-Star break with a little momentum, but more so happy to get another series win,” Luzardo said. “After losing yesterday, today was a big one for us.”

SCRATCHED ONE ACROSS

Reds starter Brady Singer was almost as good.

He was efficient as ever. Through his first five innings, he threw 10 pitches or fewer in each frame.

Singer was through seven scoreless before the Phillies were able to do just enough.

The athleticism at the bottom of the order has become a separator from years past. Gabriel Rincones Jr. was hit by a pitch to lead off the eighth. Don Mattingly called on Derek Hill, who would replace Rincones defensively as well, to pinch run.

That was the right call.

J.T. Realmuto then chopped one to short, but Hill’s speed allowed him to get to second. That forced Elly De La Cruz to take the out at first.

“Huge,” Mattingly said. “It’s probably either a shot at a double play ball or if Crawford gets a hit, first and second still. So we still got to get a hit. I think getting to second, then Crawford’s hit scores him, obviously big.”

So when Justin Crawford came up next and bounced one through the right side on a low-and-in sinker, Hill’s speed allowed him to score.

That was all the Phillies needed.

Crawford has continued to trend in the right direction. Over his last 30 games, he’s batting .333 in 87 at-bats, and Mattingly pointed to the way the rookie has handled the uneven stretches.

“He’s made some adjustments, which is good,” Mattingly said. “That’s what you like to see with young guys, that they can continue to evolve. I think we’re seeing that in Justin.”

Crawford credited the work behind the scenes.

“I’m just trying to move the needle,” Crawford said. “Obviously, I’m working with Kevin a lot. Just keep taking it one day at a time.”

HEATED UP

In the second inning, as Luzardo walked off the mound, he pointed into the Reds’ dugout after the frame ended.

“Just a little heated competition,” Luzardo said. “I think it helps me at times, finding a little bit of edge. I don’t think it’s a bad thing.”

The competitor in him comes out on the mound at times. With the way Luzardo is rolling, that edge is working for him.

It was obvious even from center field.

“Electric,” Crawford said. “I saw him that first inning. It was like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s got his stuff today.’ That didn’t surprise me at all.”

The Phillies then had to protect the lead after Luzardo’s night ended.

Jonathan Bowlan handled the eighth, continuing to settle into a more meaningful role. Mattingly noted that Bowlan has been especially strong against left-handed hitters, which has changed how he can be used late in games.

“He’s been really good for us,” Mattingly said.

Then Jhoan Duran took over in the ninth. He allowed the first two hitters to reach, with the winning run aboard.

But the Phillies’ closer struck out Eugenio Suárez, which changed the inning.

“The big thing is getting the first guy,” Mattingly said. “Once you get that first out, then it forces them to have to get a hit.”

Duran escaped, sealing a 1-0 win in the middle of a nine-game road trip to end the first half.

For the Phillies, who now head to Detroit, being able to hand the ball from Luzardo to Bowlan to Duran and lock down a game like this was massive.

Especially with the way Luzardo is throwing.