Aaron Nola believes the key to solving his first inning struggles is ‘getting the leadoff hitter out’

MIAMI — Aaron Nola spent more than an hour in the bullpen here Friday, which isn’t atypical on the days in between his starts for the Phillies.

“He does a lot of work,” manager Rob Thomson said. “Maybe sometimes a little bit too much.”

But after all that work, did Nola come up with any answers for why he has barely survived the first inning in each of his last two starts?

“I’ve just got to get the leadoff hitter out,” Nola said. “No doubt. I’ve got to focus a little more on the leadoff guy and get him out. I’ve got to put those guys away with two strikes.”

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Nola suspects the last two starts might’ve gone differently if he had retired Jurickson Profar and Bryce Turang to lead off games against the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers, respectively. Instead, Profar singled on a two-strike pitch, and Turang worked a walk after taking a first-pitch strike.

The innings unraveled from there. Against the Braves, five of the first six batters reached base. The Brewers led 5-0 before Nola recorded an out.

It raises a familiar question when Nola struggles: Does he feel comfortable out of the stretch?

“Yeah, so-so,” Nola said. “I mean, I’ve gotten guys to two strikes, and both [starts], they’ve hit a couple of those balls and kind of cleared the bases. But yeah, I feel pretty good out of the stretch. I’ve just got to make better [two-strike] pitches.”

In Milwaukee, Nola hit Jackson Chourio with a two-strike fastball and gave up two-strike singles on a fastball to William Contreras and a curveball to Sal Frelick. Against the Braves, Nola got ahead two strikes before allowing hits to Drake Baldwin and Michael Harris II and walking Ozzie Albies.

It’s reminiscent of 2021, when Nola led the league with 82 two-strike hits. But he also struck out nearly 30% of batters that season. This year, his strikeout rate is only 23.5%.

“Just have to execute better in general, but especially with two strikes,” Nola said. “And then the walks. Got to cut down on those. It’s just getting ahead, staying ahead. It’s simple stuff to think about, but I’ve got to do it.”

Nola has an 8.38 ERA in four starts since returning from three months on the injured list with a sprained ankle and fractured rib. His 6.78 ERA overall would be the ninth-worst mark ever for a Phillies pitcher with at least 13 starts in a season.

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Where does that leave Nola in a potential playoff rotation?

If the Phillies get a bye in the wild-card round, they won’t need a fourth starter until the National League Championship Series, if they get that far. But it would leave them with three lefties — Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez, and Jesús Luzardo — in the divisional round.

Nola likely has four more starts to reclaim his status among the Phillies’ top three starters, beginning Monday night at home in the opener of a pivotal series against the Mets.

Thomson believes Nola’s first-inning issues over the last two starts are coincidental.

“He’s gone through that before,” Thomson said. “I have full confidence he’s going to come out of it.”

Nick Castellanos wasn’t in the lineup for the third time in four games, as the Phillies move to a full-fledged platoon in right field.

Castellanos has played more games than any outfielder in baseball since 2014. But he’s having his least productive season at the plate, including a .180 average with three RBIs and a .509 OPS in August. And because he grades out as the worst defensive outfielder in the sport, the lack of offense has landed him on the bench against righties.

But even against an opener: Miami Marlins righty Valente Bellozo?

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“Those three guys right now are swinging the bats good,” Thomson said, referring to Harrison Bader, lefty-hitting Brandon Marsh, and Max Kepler. “And this guy [Bellozo] is tougher on right-handers than he is on lefties. That’s basically what it comes down to.”

With Bader bringing solid defense in center field and energy from the bottom half of the lineup since being acquired at the trade deadline, Thomson is sticking with him almost every day while running platoons in left field (Marsh and Weston Wilson) and right field (Kepler and Castellanos).

When Castellanos doesn’t start, Thomson said he will use him as a pinch-hitter, likely against a left-handed pitcher. He said it’s less likely that he would hit for Castellanos in games that he starts.

Top outfield prospect Justin Crawford was getting tested for a concussion, according to Thomson, but likely avoided a more serious injury after a collision in left field Thursday night at triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Crawford was racing in to catch a fly ball and didn’t pull up in time to avoid a shoulder to the face from backtracking third baseman Otto Kemp. Crawford left the game.

“I think he chipped a couple of teeth,” Thomson said. “But yeah, that was kind of nasty.”

Veteran righty Walker Buehler is scheduled to throw 65-75 pitches Saturday night at Lehigh Valley. The Phillies intend to call up Buehler to start in a six-man rotation next Friday night at home against the Kansas City Royals. … Right-hander Gage Wood, the Phillies’ first-round draft pick, was set to make his pro debut Friday night for low-A Clearwater, but the game got rained out. … Tests on reliever Daniel Robert confirmed a right forearm strain. He won’t throw for 10 days. … Luzardo (12-6, 4.05 ERA), a South Floridian, will face his former team at 4:10 p.m. Saturday. Sandy Alcantara (8-11, 5.66) is slated to start for the Marlins.