MIAMI -- Aaron Nola had not pitched since April 26 in Atlanta.
Nola didn’t know it, but it would be Rob Thomson’s final game as manager. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski relieved Thomson of his duties two days later, naming Don Mattingly as interim skipper.
A few days after that, the Phillies shuffled the rotation to split up left-handers Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo and provide Nola two extra days of rest -- seven days in all -- giving Nola a second bullpen session to work on everything that’s been ailing him.
Nola pitched six scoreless innings in Monday night’s 1-0 victory over the Marlins at loanDepot park, helping the Phillies win the four-game series and pushing them to 6-1 under Mattingly. Nola allowed five hits and no walks and struck out five.
Nola’s stuff was up a tick against Miami. His four-seam fastball averaged 92.4 mph, up 0.8 mph from his season average. It touched 94.3 mph.
It was easy to conclude that the extra rest helped. After all, Nola entered the game 1-3 with a 6.03 ERA. It was only the second time in Nola’s career that he had this much rest between starts, not including extended breaks because of the All-Star Game, injuries or the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
It last happened from June 5-13, 2024, coincidentally, after Nola’s last start in which he pitched at least six scoreless innings without walking a batter.
Perhaps this is something the Phillies look to do more frequently, although seven days of rest isn’t feasible. But if an extra day here or there helps Nola be more competitive, perhaps they will try.
Bryce Harper hit a solo home run to right field in the third inning. It was Harper’s seventh homer of the season. Garrett Stubbs caught two would-be basestealers, the first time in a game he had done that.