Aaron Nola surpasses Cole Hamels on Phillies all-time strikeout list
PHILADELPHIA — Move over, Hollywood.
Aaron Nola has surpassed his former teammate Cole Hamels on the Phillies all-time strikeout list with his 1,845th career strikeout in the sixth inning against Ronald Acuña Jr. in Thursday’s 19-4 win against the Atlanta Braves.
Only Steve Carlton (3,031) and Robin Roberts (1,871) have more strikeouts than Nola as a Phillie. Nola will surpass Roberts perhaps as early as this season, but is unlikely to catch up to the franchise’s forever strikeout king Carlton.
“There’s been some really, really great pitchers to come through here,” Nola said. “I just want to keep making starts and have good years, be healthy and put the team in a good chance to win every time I’m out there and be the best teammate I can be.”
It’s a testament to his durability and consistency over his first 11 seasons with Philadelphia. Up until May of this year, when he went on the IL with a right ankle sprain, Nola had not missed a start since the 2017 season.
“He’s a great pitcher,” manager Rob Thomson said postgame. “He was on the IL earlier in the season. He went a number of years of never missing a start, really. It tells you a lot about him. About his toughness, about his conditioning, things like that. He takes care of himself.”
Nola and Hamels were teammates for a brief period of time in 2015. Nola was a rookie making his first two starts of his career while Hamels was on his way out. Nola famously was the pitcher to follow Hamels the next day at Wrigley Field following the left-hander’s no-hitter in his final start in a Phillies uniform.
“I wish I would’ve played with him longer,” Nola said.
Now, Nola is in the running with Hamels as one of the best pitchers in franchise history.
“I’m blessed to be healthy for some time now,” Nola said. “Been able to start games and not miss many starts. For starting pitchers, that’s what our goal is. We want to make every single start. Obviously, this year has been up and down and I was hurt for a little while. It’s good to be able to start again and throw games. I just work really hard to try to stay healthy and that’s what I have done ever since I came up.”
The right-hander on Thursday rebounded in a big way after a three-hit, three-run first inning. He entered the fifth with his pitch count at 68 after a 37-pitch first frame. He faced the minimum in innings two through five, throwing 10 pitches in the second, 11 in the third, 10 in the fourth and eight in the fifth. Matt Olson recorded the Braves’ first hit since the first with a solo home run to lead off the top of the sixth.
The Phillies offense gave him more than enough run support. They scored a season-high 19 runs, the most in a game for the Phillies since July 1, 2023. Kyle Schwarber became the 19th major league player since 1901 to hit four home runs in a game. He was a grand slam short of becoming the first MLB hitter to hit for the home run cycle.
Nola was lying on the couch in the home clubhouse in the bottom of the eighth inning, wondering if Schwarber was actually going to hit five home runs.
“I don’t know what else to say. I mean, the guy’s having a year for the ages,” Nola said. “It’s awesome to watch. He’s a hard worker. Good teammate, good guy. And for him to do something like that, especially at home too, is special.