Aaron

Nola

Nola was tasked with starting essentially a must-win game for the Phillies on two-days rest, and it went poorly. He gave up a two-run homer to Junior Caminero, and an RBI double to Victor Mesa before giving way to the bullpen. Nola’s regular season was another down year for what was once one of the better starters in the National League, and he finishes with a 4.67 ERA in his 175 1/3 innings. Assuming there’s no buyout or trade, he’ll pitch at the back of the Philadelphia rotation in 2027.

It’s basically no-or-never for the Phillies as they sit one game ahead of the Diamondbacks for the final NL Wild Card playoff spot with two games remaining. Nola gets the ball on two days of rest after allowing four runs over six innings in a loss to the Brewers on Wednesday evening. The 33-year-old was unlikely to pitch in a potential Wild Card Series matchup, so they’re going to have him take the ball in this spot instead. It’s a massive spot as Philadelphia attempts to snap a three-game losing streak and clinch a playoff spot.

Nola struck out eight, but he gave up solo homers in the first and second and then two runs on a walk, a single and a double in the third. He retired 10 straight from there to end his outing. Nola closes out the regular season 7-11 with a 4.54 ERA, though that doesn’t demonstrate how solid he’s been lately. He had a 2.10 ERA in his previous 10 starts coming into tonight. This was the first time he’s allowed four runs since July 22.

The 33-year-old right-hander scattered three singles and three walks on the night while striking out four. The only real threat against him came as the Mets put two men on with one out in the sixth inning, but he was able to get Francisco Lindor to bounce into an inning-ending double play to quell that rally. Nola generated nine swings and misses on 81 offerings in the contest, posting a strong CSW of 32 percent. He’ll look to further improve upon his 4.49 ERA and 1.35 WHIP in his regular season finale against the Brewers on Wednesday.

Nola gave up a homer to Matt Olson in the first and another to Austin Riley in the second, but the Braves did nothing else against him, even though he finished the night with just two strikeouts and three walks. It’s the sixth straight start in which Nola has allowed two runs or fewer, and though he wasn’t involved in the decision tonight, he’s improved from 3-9 with a 5.61 ERA to 7-9 with a 4.69 ERA. He’ll get the Mets next week.

Nola punched out five batters in the contest while allowing only one base on balls. The lone tally against him came on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Ronald Acuña Jr. in the sixth inning. Nola exited with a 4-1 lead and in line for a victory, but the Phillies’ bullpen couldn’t hang on for him. The 33-year-old hurler got 11 whiffs on 93 pitches on the day, posting a CSW of 22 percent. He’ll look to continue his resurgence and further improve upon his 4.76 ERA and 1.37 WHIP when he takes on these same Braves in Atlanta on Friday.

The scoring was finished in the third inning in this one, allowing Nola to get the victory in a game in which he recorded just 15 outs, He’s yielded exactly one run in four of his last seven starts and a total of 11 runs during the span, which has lowered his ERA from 5.82 to 4.93. He’s a pretty reasonable mixed-league option right now, though a matchup against the Braves on Sunday isn’t quite ideal.

Nola tossed a scoreless first inning, then gave up a leadoff homer to Cal Raleigh in the second. He cruised through another three quiet innings before the Mariners added a run on two hits in the sixth. Nola would complete the frame and end his day at 92 pitches, striking out seven in a quality start. The 33-year-old right-hander will take a 5.03 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, and a 153/49 K/BB ratio across 143 innings into a start against the Diamondbacks in Arizona next Monday.

Nola allowed five hits without walking anyone in his 100-pitch outing. The veteran right-hander has pitched far better lately after posting a 6.04 ERA through the end of June. Since then, he has given up more than three earned runs just once. Given that he’s 33 and signed through 2030, the turnaround has been a much-needed development for reasons beyond this season. Nola will look to continue his second-half rebound next time out against the Mariners in Seattle.

The 33-year-old right-hander scattered five hits and three walks on the night. The lone tally against him came on a solo blast off the bat of Luke Keaschall in the second inning. Nola had traffic on the basepaths and was in trouble a few times but was always able to make key pitches to get out of it. We’ll see if this magical start can springboard him into a successful final six weeks of the season. Now 4-9 on the season, he’ll carry an uninspiring 5.33 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and a 138/46 K/BB ratio (130 innings) into Wednesday’s tilt against the Marlins.