Aaron Nola, the longest-tenured player on the Phillies, faced his biggest start of the season Thursday night in Game 3 of the National League wild card series, but it lasted a brutal 38 pitches. Interim manager Don Mattingly pulled him with two outs in the second inning, Philadelphia already down 3-0 to the Atlanta Braves in the deciding game.
A Three-Run Bomb and a Quick Hook
Man, that first inning was a gut punch. Nola allowed all three runs on just two hits, with two walks and a lone strikeout, and the entire disaster unfolded on just 13 pitches. With one out, he walked Ronald Acuna Jr. and Matt Olson back-to-back. Then, Michael Harris II stepped up and absolutely crushed a sinker 387 feet for a three-run homer. That’s a quick way to put your team in a hole in a winner-take-all game, isn’t it? He was eventually chased after Dominic Smith, who was in the lineup specifically because of his past success against Nola, singled. Left-hander Tim Mayza came in to replace him, with Zack Wheeler still chilling in the bullpen.
Velocity Up, Control Gone: The Nola Mystery
What the heck happened with Nola’s pitches? He was throwing harder than usual, nearly two miles per hour above his season average for his four-seam fastball, which is pretty typical when a guy’s amped for a huge start. But all that adrenaline seemed to wreck his control. A staggering only 32% of his pitches found the strike zone. Think about that: less than one-third of his throws were competitive. He leaned heavily on his sinker, throwing it 37% of the time, which is double his season rate. But his knuckle curve, the pitch that held hitters to a measly .177 average all season long, barely made an appearance, accounting for less than a quarter of his pitches. You gotta wonder if sticking with what works would’ve made a difference there.
A Tough Season and a Massive Deal for the Veteran
This outing just compounds a tough year for the 33-year-old Nola. He finished the season 7-12 with a 4.67 ERA. Yeah, he had a strong stretch from late July to late September, posting a 2.45 ERA over 11 starts, but that momentum clearly didn’t carry over to Game 3. And let’s not forget the contract. Nola’s got four years and about $98 million remaining on the massive seven-year, $172 million deal he inked in November 2023. That’s a huge investment in a guy who just got pulled after 38 pitches in the biggest game of the year.
Now, with Nola out of the game and the Phillies staring down a 3-0 deficit in a do-or-die wild card game, every single pitch from here on out is everything. The season hung in the balance, right then and there. What a way to go out if they can’t turn it around.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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