Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola will be the team's Opening Day starter on April 8 at home against the Oakland Athletics. It will be Nola's fifth straight Opening Day start, the longest streak by a Phillies pitcher since Steve Carlton started 10 straight openers from 1977-86. Nola allowed two solo home runs in Grapefruit League action on Thursday to the Pittsburgh Pirates for the second start in a row. He also disappointed last year with a 4.63 ERA in 180 2/3 innings over 32 starts, but his FIP of 3.37 shows he was pretty unlucky, and Nola also had a nice 1.13 WHIP and 223 strikeouts to 39 walks in 2021. Don't be scared away by the high ERA from a season ago. Target Nola in the early rounds of drafts as a low-end SP1/high-end SP2.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola didn't have his best outing on Wednesday at Atlanta, but managed to post a quality start despite falling to 9-9 on the season. This start was likely the last for Nola in what was a disappointing campaign for the hurler drafted as a top-10 starting pitcher back in March. There's no sugarcoating how bad his 4.64 ERA was, but Nola made other positive contributions in fantasy as he posted a strong 1.13 WHIP and reached the 200-strikeout plateau for the third-straight full season as he whiffed 223 batters at a healthy 29.8% K-rate. Expect Nola to bounce back in 2022 as his 3.25 SIERA, 3.35 xFIP, and 3.41 expected ERA all imply he was much better than his final line indicates.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola allowed six runs across six innings, but still earned his ninth win of the season on Thursday versus Pittsburgh. As has been the case all year, Nola pitched significantly better than his final line indicates. He was one pitch away from escaping a bases-loaded jam in the second inning, but he gave up a bloop single. To the opposing pitcher. On an 0-2 pitch. The next batter hit an opposite-field three-run homer that barely escaped the yard. Sigh. Despite his night being soiled early, Nola buckled down and picked up eight K's and at one point retired 12 straight batters as he was absolutely cruising. He was pinch-hit for despite throwing just 80 pitches, but pinch-hitter Ronald Torreyes hit a go-ahead three-run homer, so it worked out to give Nola the win. Start him next week versus Atlanta. It's risky, but Nola is not as bad as his 4.64 ERA and he'll be a popular bounce-back candidate in 2022 drafts.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings to earn his eighth victory Saturday at the Mets. Nola had his good stuff in this one as he picked up nine strikeouts against just one walk. It hasn't always been pretty, but Nola has had another strong season despite his 4.48 ERA. The right-hander has one of the biggest gaps between his actual ERA and his skill-based ERA indicators since his SIERA (3.20), xERA (3.41), and xFIP (3.29) all imply his ERA should be at least a run lower. Nola's 1.11 WHIP is well above average and he's striking batters out at a healthy 30 percent clip. He'll will be a popular bounce-back candidate in 2022 drafts, but for now, fantasy managers should keep starting Nola and hope for another positive result Thursday versus the Pirates.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola allowed three runs across 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision versus the Rockies on Sunday. Another start, another pitching line from Nola that didn't reflect how well he pitched. The right-hander racked up 10 strikeouts on the day and was in cruise control right from the start, retiring 12 of the first 13 batters he faced. In the fifth inning, Nola put two men on base and then hung an 0-2 curveball to Garrett Hampson to put three runs on the board for Colorado. In the end, Nola produced a sub-1.00 WHIP and a ton of strikeouts, but couldn't get the win and saw his ERA rise to 4.58 on the season. Fantasy managers should keep starting Nola as he'll take on the Mets on Friday.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola allowed three runs on six hits across five innings in a road start versus the Brewers on Tuesday. Nola only threw 91 pitches, but was removed for a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning as the Phillies offense had just one hit to that point. Nola has a history of struggling in September, but this outing was a step in the right direction as he had six strikeouts against zero walks. The right-hander has been an enigma this season as he's pitching much better than his 4.57 ERA would indicate. Nola's xFIP of 3.45 implies his ERA should be about a run lower and he's still sporting an excellent 29.5% strikeout rate. He should be started in all fantasy leagues on Sunday with a home start versus Colorado on the docket.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola allowed six earned runs across four innings pitched in yet another rough start for the right-hander. Nola started off the game just fine, but fell apart in the third inning as he allowed a homer, a single, then another homer, all with two outs in the inning. He ran into trouble again in the fifth as he loaded the bases with no outs before being pulled from the game in favor of Bailey Falter, who promptly allowed all three runs to score on Nola's ledger. Nola's underlying metrics look fine as his 3.39 FIP and 3.41 xFIP imply his 4.54 ERA is a bit unlucky, but at this point in the season, it's tough to bank on regression coming. He'll face a challenging matchup next time out in Milwaukee, no one would blame fantasy managers hesitant to start Nola in that matchup despite his elite upside.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola allowed two runs in 5 1/3 innings with seven strikeouts Friday night against the Diamondbacks. Nola allowed just one hit through five innings, but opened the sixth by allowing a single to Nick Ahmed, then a triple to Josh Rojas. He would record an out before being lifted from the game, but Rojas scored on a sac-fly and a once-promising start ended in a no-decision. Despite limping to the finish line, this is now back-to-back strong starts from Nola as the right-hander generated a whopping 16 swinging strikes on just 93 pitches. This implies his newfound success should be sustainable, and fantasy managers should be excited about Nola's start next week at Washington.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola turned in one of his best starts of the season Saturday night at San Diego, but he allowed a two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extra innings. Nola carried a perfect game into the seventh inning which was ended on an error by first baseman Brad Miller. That run would come around to score, but Nola still got the game to the eighth inning tied at one, and was allowed to try and finish what he started. In the ninth, however, Jake Cronenworth launched a two-run shot to soil Nola's line. On the night, he allowed two earned across 8 2/3 innings with 11 strikeouts on 117 pitches. Fantasy managers need to keep Nola locked into lineups for a matchup with the Diamondbacks next time out.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola allowed four runs on six hits across 4 1/3 innings in a loss to the Reds on Sunday. Nola struck out four and walked three in his latest disappointing outing. The 28-year-old righty is 7-7 on the season with an ugly 4.48 ERA, despite his 3.30 SIERA and 3.39 xFIP implying his ERA should be at least a run lower. He's still posting excellent strikeout numbers as he's got a 29% K-rate and a 13% swinging-strike rate, so Nola remains a must-start pitcher in fantasy. A little consistency would be nice, though, as he's been one of the most up-and-down pitchers in the game. Nola has another tough matchup next time out in San Diego.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola was brilliant on Tuesday night before a fourth-inning rain delay ended his night after just four dominant innings. Nola had seven strikeouts while allowing only one baserunner, as a classic pitcher's duel was shaping up between Nola and Dodger's hurler Max Scherzer. Mother Nature had other plans, however, and fantasy managers can only dream of how many K's Nola could've collected. The right-hander already earned six strikeouts on his curveball and his whole arsenal looked as good as it had all season as he baffled a good L.A. lineup. Bummer. He'll look to carry this momentum into a home start against the Reds this weekend.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola allowed five runs in five innings in a no-decision versus the Nationals on Thursday. Nola is among the most frustrating players to roster in fantasy as he's pitched much better than his stats would indicate. Even in this start, he racked up seven strikeouts and looked mostly dominant, but he lost the strike zone in the third inning and was the victim of a Josh Bell homer in the fifth to sour his pitching line. Fantasy managers should stick with the beleaguered ace; his 4.46 ERA should trend downwards as his FIP (3.54), xFIP (3.46), and SIERA (3.25) imply his ERA should be about a run lower. Things won't get any easier, however, as he'll take on a tough Dodger lineup next time out, but Nola's upside is worth starting him in that matchup.

Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell had a strong game against the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday, going 3-for-5 with a three-run home run and two runs scored. The switch-hitter's 19th home run of the season came off Phillies ace Aaron Nola. Bell has been outstanding over the last several months, but even better of late with a 1.050 OPS and three home runs coming in just his last seven games. He's been most effective against lefty pitching, with 12 of his home runs coming right-handed, but this performance shows how threatening he can be from the left as well, and he's a strong fantasy play any day of the week.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola gave up two earned runs over six innings in a 3-2 walk-off loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. The 28-year-old allowed three hits and walked one during the quality start while striking out five. The Phillies right-hander has now posted back-to-back strong starts and looks poised to finish the season on a high note. On the season, Nola is 7-6 with a 4.30 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 3.46 FIP, and 145 strikeouts over 121 1/3 innings. Fantasy managers drafted Nola with an ace-like investment and he has not lived up to that price. Nola will look to correct his subpar season and build off these two starts against the stripped-down Washington Nationals on Thursday.

The Philadelphia Phillies acquired pitchers Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy, bolstering their staff in a deadline trade Friday in which they got the Texas Rangers' top starter and closer in exchange for rookie right-hander Spencer Howard and two other pitching prospects. Texas also sent pitching prospect Hans Crouse, a second-round draft pick four years ago, and cash to the Phillies. Howard (0-2, 5.72 ERA), who was Philadelphia’s second-round pick in 2017, is going to Texas with right-handers Kevin Gowdy and Josh Gessner. Gibson (6-3, 2.87 ERA in 19 starts) was a first-time All-Star this season, but the 33-year-old right-hander lost his last three starts for Texas. Kennedy had 16 saves in 17 opportunities for the last-place Rangers, and the 36-year-old right-hander hasn’t issued a walk in his last 11 appearances, a span of 45 batters dating to June 4. “We feel like we made ourselves better and we’re in position where we have another starting pitcher in our rotation for next year. We’ve also... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Held hitless into the eighth inning by Domingo Germán and looking feeble, Alex Verdugo and the Boston Red Sox suddenly erupted for five runs and stormed past the New York Yankees 5-4 Sunday. Verdugo opened the eighth with a long double for Boston’s first hit. Later, Kiké Hernández slid home headfirst on Xander Bogaerts’ sacrifice fly with the go-ahead run to cap the rally. The Red Sox won for the 10th time in 13 games against the Yankees and reclaimed first place in the AL East, a game ahead of Tampa Bay. New York fell nine games behind Boston. Boston trailed 4-0 when Verdugo doubled to deep right, and Germán was lifted after the hit. Jonathan Loaisiga (7-4) relieved, and Boston broke loose with four straight hits. Hunter Renfroe had an RBI double, Christian Vázquez singled home a run and Hernández followed with an RBI double, cutting it to 4-3. Zack Britton relieved and pinch-hitter Kevin Plawecki’s groundout plated the tying run. Hernández hustled hard and beat right fielder... [More]

BOSTON (AP) — Held hitless into the eighth inning by Domingo Germán and looking feeble, Alex Verdugo and the Boston Red Sox suddenly erupted for five runs and stormed past the New York Yankees 5-4 Sunday. Verdugo opened the eighth with a long double for Boston’s first hit. Later, Kiké Hernández slid home headfirst on Xander Bogaerts’ sacrifice fly with the go-ahead run to cap the rally. The Red Sox won for the 10th time in 13 games against the Yankees and reclaimed first place in the AL East, a game ahead of Tampa Bay. New York fell nine games behind Boston. Boston trailed 4-0 when Verdugo doubled to deep right, and Germán was lifted after the hit. Jonathan Loaisiga (7-4) relieved, and Boston broke loose with four straight hits. Hunter Renfroe had an RBI double, Christian Vázquez singled home a run and Hernández followed with an RBI double, cutting it to 4-3. Zack Britton relieved and pinch-hitter Kevin Plawecki’s groundout plated the tying run. Hernández hustled hard and beat right fielder... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman homered off Yu Darvish in the sixth inning, Touki Toussaint allowed one run and three hits in his season debut, and the Atlanta Braves beat the San Diego Padres 2-1 on Tuesday night. Toussaint, who missed the first 3½ months rehabbing a right shoulder strain, retired the first seven batters he faced before walking Victor Caratini in the third. He didn’t allow a hit until Manny Machado doubled with one out in the fourth. The Padres tied it 1-all in the fourth when Jake Cronenworth was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on Machado’s double and scored on Tommy Pham’s sacrifice fly. Freeman made it 2-1 by taking Darvish deep over the wall in left field with an opposite-field shot, his 22nd homer. Toussaint (1-0) walked two and struck out five in 6 2/3 innings. Darvish (7-4) was making his first start since July 8 after a stint on the injured list due to left hip inflammation. He allowed four hits and two runs with two walks and three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman homered off Yu Darvish in the sixth inning, Touki Toussaint allowed one run and three hits in his season debut, and the Atlanta Braves beat the San Diego Padres 2-1 on Tuesday night. Toussaint, who missed the first 3½ months rehabbing a right shoulder strain, retired the first seven batters he faced before walking Victor Caratini in the third. He didn’t allow a hit until Manny Machado doubled with one out in the fourth. The Padres tied it 1-all in the fourth when Jake Cronenworth was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on Machado’s double and scored on Tommy Pham’s sacrifice fly. Freeman made it 2-1 by taking Darvish deep over the wall in left field with an opposite-field shot, his 22nd homer. Toussaint (1-0) walked two and struck out five in 6 2/3 innings. Darvish (7-4) was making his first start since July 8 after a stint on the injured list due to left hip inflammation. He allowed four hits and two runs with two walks and three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.... [More]

ATLANTA (AP) — Freddie Freeman homered off Yu Darvish in the sixth inning, Touki Toussaint allowed one run and three hits in his season debut, and the Atlanta Braves beat the San Diego Padres 2-1 on Tuesday night. Toussaint, who missed the first 3½ months rehabbing a right shoulder strain, retired the first seven batters he faced before walking Victor Caratini in the third. He didn’t allow a hit until Manny Machado doubled with one out in the fourth. The Padres tied it 1-all in the fourth when Jake Cronenworth was hit by a pitch, advanced to third on Machado’s double and scored on Tommy Pham’s sacrifice fly. Freeman made it 2-1 by taking Darvish deep over the wall in left field with an opposite-field shot, his 22nd homer. Toussaint (1-0) walked two and struck out five in 6 2/3 innings. Darvish (7-4) was making his first start since July 8 after a stint on the injured list due to left hip inflammation. He allowed four hits and two runs with two walks and three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.... [More]