For the first time in 15 days, a Phillies starter pitched seven innings.
That starter was Aaron Nola, who on Sunday struck out five and walked two, allowing just four hits and a run in a 1-0 loss to Pittsburgh. Plus, he threw just 89 pitches, 57 of them for strikes.
Nola – returning from a back strain injury and suffering an elbow injury late last season – looked like the early 2016 version, bringing his ERA down to 3.52 and his FIP to 3.04.
If Nola is on, the Phillies rotation might actually start falling into place.
View Nola’s five strikeouts against the Pirates here.
Tim MalcolmTim first found the Phillies as a little infant at Veteran’s Stadium, cheering on a Juan Samuel game-winning home run in his very first game. With the pinstripes in his blood, he witnessed Terry Mulholland’s 1990 no-hitter, “Steve Carlton Night” at the Vet, game three of the 1993 World Series, countless games during the charmed 2008 championship season and various road excursions. Since November 2007 Tim’s been writing about them daily at Phillies Nation, becoming one of the world’s most popular Phillies scribes. You can catch him on Twitter and Facebook, as well. When he’s not talking about the Phils he’s relaxing with a St. Bernardus ABT 12 or one of his many favored brews.
