This was the Aaron Nola the Philadelphia Phillies have been waiting to see all year.
The superstar, ace-caliber starting pitcher finally looked the part by shutting out the New York Mets for six innings while striking out seven and allowing just three hits in the Phils’ 1-0 win at Citizens Bank Park on Monday.
Nola threw 60 of his 94 pitches for strikes, and Pete Alonso’s third-inning double was the only extra-base hit he gave up. He improved to 4-8 and lowered his ERA to 6.24.
Philadelphia (84-60) now leads New York by eight games atop the NL East, the largest divisional lead in the National League.
What Did The Phillies Say About Aaron Nola?
Nola’s season has been a nightmare, even after coming back from a lengthy IL stint that has limited him to just 14 starts this year.
Despite his 2-1 record entering play Monday, Nola had allowed 18 earned runs in just 19 1/3 innings since coming off the IL on Aug. 17. In his last start in Milwaukee, he allowed six runs on six hits, including a first-inning, three-run homer to Isaac Collins that put himself and the Phillies behind the 8-ball.
Yet, Monday was nothing like that. Nola cruised against the Mets’ solid offense, which includes superstars like Alonso, Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor and entered play Monday averaging 4.8 runs per game.
“That was really encouraging just seeing him pitch the way he has for so many years here,” Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto said. “This time of year, we all know how important starting pitching is, and him being able to throw up zeros against a really good lineup like that is definitely encouraging to see.”
Nola also rewarded manager Rob Thomson’s faith him to pitch the sixth inning against Soto, Alonso and cleanup hitter Brandon Nimmo. He retired the trio in order, striking out Soto on a cutter, before getting Alonso to fly out and striking Nimmo looking to end his night.
“They’re good hitters,” Nola said. “I’ve faced them a lot. Just to get those guys out, especially to get Soto, was big.”
Realmuto admitted he held his breath when calling the cutter to Soto — since it was the only cut-fastball Nola threw all night.
“When I called it, I took kind of a deep breath, because if it doesn’t work out, then you really kick yourself for it,” Realmuto said. “But Aaron threw a great pitch there, and it worked out for us.”
In fact, the only issue for Nola all night was a teammate interrupting his postgame interview.
Why Do The Phillies Need Aaron Nola In The Playoffs?
Obviously, Zack Wheeler’s blood-clot issue is huge for the Phillies starting staff. Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez have pitched like aces all year, and Jesus Luzardo has pitched at Citizens Bank Park in the playoffs — albeit against the Phillies in 2023.
But Nola could answer a lot of questions if he pitches the way he did Monday in October. He has proven capable of doing so in the past, since he is 5-4 with a 4.02 ERA in 53 2/3 postseason innings in his career.
“He’s an experienced guy,” Thomson said of Nola. “He knows what he’s doing. He prepares. He goes out and competes. He adjusts. He tweaks things. He just gets it done.”
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