Aaron and Austin Nola both pitched on the same night — even though one brother is a catcher
The pair made history in the 2022 NLCS, and on Wednesday they both pitched professionally on the same night for the first time.
When Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola took the mound for his second rehab start with triple-A Lehigh Valley on Wednesday night, he wasn’t the only Nola brother pitching. His brother Austin, a catcher by trade, took the mound for his first major league pitching appearance. It didn’t go well.
To aid a struggling Colorado Rockies bullpen, Nola was asked to pitch the top of the ninth inning of a 12-1 game. It was the third consecutive game the Rockies’ pitching staff gave up more than 10 runs. The elder Nola didn’t help the league-worst 30-84 Rockies’ cause.
The Toronto Blue Jays tallied eight hits, including a pair of homers, and eight earned runs against Nola. The onslaught left the first-time pitcher with an unsightly 72.00 ERA and 8.00 WHIP.
After the game, Aaron Nola caught wind of his brother’s new experience in the 20-1 loss.
While at a lower level, Aaron was far more successful in his pitching appearance for the IronPigs. The former All-Star went 3⅔ innings, allowing four hits and one earned run.
Across two rehab starts for Lehigh Valley, Nola, who was put in the injured list on May 15 with a right rib stress fracture, has a 1.35 ERA, a significant improvement from the 6.16 mark he posted during nine starts with the Phillies.
Nola will start again for Lehigh Valley on Wednesday as he continues to build up and eventually rejoin the Phillies.
This isn’t the first time the Nola brothers have been in the news for something they accomplished on the same night. In the 2022 National League Championship Series between the Phillies and San Diego Padres, the pair made history as the first siblings to face each other as pitcher and batter during a playoff game.
» READ MORE: From 2022: Aaron Nola vs. Austin Nola was fun for the brothers but tough to watch for the parents
While Aaron won the initial, history-making battle, Austin lined an RBI single to left field his next at bat.
In recent years, however, playing time has been harder to come by for Austin Nola. When his contract was selected by the Rockies on July 1, it marked the first time he had been on a major league active roster since late 2023. Since his arrival, Nola has backed up lone Rockies All-Star Hunter Goodman and has struggled at the plate, hitting just .189 in 37 at-bats.
But Wednesday night, he found another way to get into the game — although the results suggest Austin doesn’t have a future at his brother’s position.