Nola tallies 8 K's for #StrikeOutALS in special first Lou Gehrig Day start

PHILADELPHIA -- Tuesday was a special night for Aaron Nola.

Not only did it mark his first start since his wife, Hunter, gave birth to their second child, but it was also the first time one of Nola's outings aligned with Lou Gehrig Day -- a league-wide initiative designed to support ALS research. That’s a deeply personal cause for Nola, whose uncle, Alan Andries, passed away in 2021 following a courageous six-year battle with ALS.

Making his return to the clubhouse on Tuesday afternoon, Nola walked in to find his usual No. 27 jersey hanging at his locker -- but with one notable addition.

“I walked in here and the first thing I see is a No. 4 patch on my jersey,” Nola said, referencing the decal worn by players, coaches and umpires across the Majors on Tuesday to honor Gehrig. “Man, that was a really, really cool moment for me.”

Pitching with that No. 4 on his chest, Nola turned in one of his better outings of the season in a 3-2 victory over the Padres at Citizens Bank Park. The right-hander struck out eight and did not walk a batter over five innings while allowing just two runs -- a two-run homer to Gavin Sheets on one of Nola's few mistakes of the night.

Though it's been a trying 14 months for Nola dating back to last year, he's found some success in recent starts by leaning more heavily on his curveball. After throwing it 49% of the time in his last outing -- his highest curveball usage in any start of his career -- it was again his most-used pitch on Tuesday (39%). Nola also did not walk a batter for the third consecutive start, his longest streak since June 24-July 5, 2024.

“That’s three in a row he hasn't walked anybody, and really seeing a mix with his stuff,” interim manager Don Mattingly said. “I thought he really located the ball tonight … and I think location is huge for him.”

All the while Nola was working on the mound, the Phillies were hosting initiatives throughout the ballpark to continue their steadfast approach as an organization to both fund ALS research and support families dealing with the disease. The Phillies ultimately raised more than $710,000 on Lou Gehrig Day -- a figure that includes a $415,000 donation from Asplundh.

“That’s awesome, man. It really is,” Nola said. “Obviously, it hits home pretty hard for me. My uncle had it years ago, passed away from it. My wife and I support the ALS chapter as much as we can, and what the Phillies do for ALS is really special.”

Separately from the Phillies’ team-wide effort, Nola singlehandedly contributed a decent amount of his own simply by virtue of his #StrikeOutALS campaign. As he did last season, the veteran right-hander is once again donating $1,500 from every strikeout this year to the ALS Association.

Nola's eight strikeouts on Tuesday night -- worth $12,000 of donations -- raised his season strikeout total to 64. That's already $96,000 going toward the cause in 2026.

And even that pales in comparison to what Nola has done together with his brother, Austin Nola. The duo has raised more than $250,000 for ALS research over the past few years by hosting "Strike Out ALS" bowling events.

It's all to benefit Alan -- and it certainly hasn't gone unnoticed.

Just last season Nola was honored as the Phillies' nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award. He was also named the Philanthropist of the Year, as voted on by his peers as part of the 2025 Players Choice Awards.

“I've been grateful to one, be with Philly all these years, and two, see all they’ve done supporting ALS and be a part of the Phillies supporting ALS,” Nola said. “I’ve gotten to meet so many different people that have been diagnosed with it over the years, and obviously, I know how hard it is not just for them, but for the family and friends to see their loved ones go through something you can't really do anything about."

Nola has always taken time on Lou Gehrig Day to meet with some of those families and talk about the horrendous disease that has unfortunately connected them in a way that only they can truly understand. Each year, the Phillies host ALS-impacted families in the clubhouse before the game, then honor them with an “ALS Lineup of Courage” in front of the dugout before first pitch.

This year, for the first time, Nola then got to go out and pitch in front of them, too.

“Usually I’m out there on the baseline meeting people and trying to form some connections and share that cool moment with them,” Nola said. “But now, pitching on Lou Gehrig Day for the first time -- yeah, that was pretty special for me.”