Aaron Nola turns in encouraging performance as Phillies beat Nationals
PHILADELPHIA — Aaron Nola came out firing. The right-hander’s first pitch on Saturday clocked in at 92.9 mph, harder than all but one of his pitches in his start last Sunday.
Nola continued to throw with a higher fastball velocity through the first few innings in the Phillies’ eventual 6-4 win over the Nationals. He reached 94.1 mph in the first inning with his four-seam fastball. He’d thrown only two pitches at least 94 mph all season.
Nola’s velocity would average 93 mph for the first three innings. It fell off some in the innings that followed, but stayed between 91 and 93. On the night, Nola’s four-seamer ended up averaging 92.6 mph, the highest it’s averaged in a start this season.
“He looked really good tonight,” said manager Rob Thomson. “The command of his fastball was really good.”
Nola’s increased fastball velocity didn’t just help that pitch. It helped others, too.
“The other stuff plays up,” said Thomson regarding Nola’s higher velocity. “It makes everything else a little bit better.”
Nola mixed in his curveball more as the game progressed. It ended up being his most-used pitch. It was very effective with a 44% whiff rate on 25 swings.
In the end, Nola’s performance — six innings of three-run ball with six strikeouts — was more than solid. It was encouraging. And not just because of how his 2025 has gone so far.
The biggest story to come out of Citizens Bank Park on Saturday was not the Phillies’ win or Nola’s performance. It was that Zack Wheeler, diagnosed with venous thoracic outlet syndrome, will miss the rest of the season.
Wheeler can’t be replaced. Other starters will have to step up. Nola is one of them. He’s now the top right-hander in the club’s starting rotation. He’s probably the only righty that’ll make postseason starts for the Phillies. He’s more important now than he’s been in some time.
Prior to his start on Saturday, Nola’s manager spoke about the faith he has in the right-hander, despite his wonky six-run outing last Sunday.
“I expect good things out of Nola. I really do,” said Thomson. “He’s done it for a long time. He’s experienced. He’s gone through ruts and come out of it in the past. He’s gonna be fine.”
Like his velocity, Nola’s effectiveness faded a bit as the game wore on. But things never got out of control. He hunkered down when needed.
After the Phillies gave their starter a 5-0 lead to work with following a five-run bottom of the fourth inning, highlighted by a three-run home run by Edmundo Sosa, Nola was in trouble in the top of the fifth.
Following an infield single by Dylan Crews, first baseman Weston Wilson failed to cleanly field a ground ball off the bat of Drew Millas. Wilson gathered the ball and fired to second base. The ball found its way into left field, and both runners advanced an extra base on the play. Nola had runners on second and third with nobody out.
Nola didn’t flinch. He escaped the inning by allowing just one run.
Brady House grounded out to shortstop Trea Turner for the first out of the fifth, driving in Crews from third. Nola struck out Robert Hassell III and James Wood, both swinging, to get out of the inning, stranding Millas 90 feet from home plate.
An inning later, Nola gave up two more runs, both on solo home runs. CJ Abrams hit a leadoff homer. Luis García Jr. went yard two batters later. But after a lengthy at-bat, Nola got Daylen Lile to fly out to right field for out No. 2. He then struck Crews out swinging on a changeup. It was his 97th and final pitch of the night.
Nola would go on to pick up his second win of the season. It wasn’t a spectacular outing. But it should provide more confidence in the right-hander at a time when the Phillies need him to help keep their rotation heading in the right direction.
Thomson continued to talk about his faith in the right-hander after his outing.
“I always believe in him,” Thomson said, “because I know how hard he works. He’s always prepared. He always competes. He’s got really good stuff. … You always think that Noles is going to go out there and give you a good outing. You really do, just because he’s done it for so long.”