PHILADELPHIA -- Tuesday was a special night for Aaron Nola.
Not only did it mark his first start since returning from the paternity list, 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.
Pitching with a No. 4 decal on his chest in honor of Gehrig, 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.
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.
Separately, 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.
"That specific area of work with ALS hits a little bit harder to me because of my uncle, but it's not even just him," Nola said previously. "Being able to meet a lot of different people who are diagnosed with the disease, you see how much it varies from person to person. So I've met so many people in such different situations, and heard so many stories -- and they're all so moving."
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.
Then, for the first time, he got to go out and pitch in front of them, too.