Aaron Nola’s major league debut was impressive. Good things are expected of Nola and tonight he showed us why. In a game where butterflies in the stomach can lead to runs on the board, Nola kept his cool on the mound and pitched like a pro. Throughout his six innings pitched he threw 88 pitches (59 strikes) and was ahead of hitters all night. Mixing in fastballs, curves, and a change-up, so filthy, The Rays are going to have to take two showers tonight.
In the third Rays pitcher Nathan Karns went yard on Nola’s only mistake, a pitch up in the zone that Karns didn’t miss and got the first hit of his career, a home run, making the score 1-0 Rays. Nola regrouped and pitched three more scoreless innings.
Nola was never in any trouble of being on the wrong end of an ugly inning. For someone pitching his first big league game that was hyped to extremes by The Phillies to fill seats, Nola was as methodical as a NASA engineer. He remained focused on making his pitches and had excellent location. Nola’s only lapse was a walk to Rays’ second baseman Logan Forsyth in the sixth inning.
To put an exclamation point on his fine outing, “Hank” Aaron Nola singled up the middle in the fifth for his first major league hit in his major league debut.
Nola was lifted after the sixth. An extraordinary debut in which he threw 6 innings gave up 5 hits, 1 run (earned) had six strikeouts and only the one walk. A good line for any starter in this league, unfortunately he plays for a team that has a bad habit of not scoring enough runs to support good pitching.
Aaron Nola seems to have the temperament and talent to make a very good living in the big leagues. I look forward to watching him pitch the rest of the season.
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