Nola’s Game 1 outing may be a cause for concern. He started the postseason with flawless performances in the Wild Card and Divisional Series. However, he has struggled to replicate that dominance in his past two starts.
Nola pitched 12.2 innings without allowing a single run in the NL Wild Card and Divisional Series. Over his last two appearances, Nola has surrendered 11 runs over 9 innings. The drop-off between the first and second half of his postseason might indicate an underlying issue. Or it could just be a coincidence.
While Game 1 of the World Series did not go in his favor, Nola’s had success against the Astros in the regular season. Nola allowed no runs, two hits, and struck out nine batters through 6.2 innings on October 3. It was his only start against the Astros this season.
His struggles in Game 1 may have been an aberration.The 29-year old posted a 11-13 record, 3.25 ERA, and 0.96 WHIP over 32 starts this season. He also recorded 235 strikeouts over 205.0 innings.
Aaron Nola by the numbers vs. the Astros’ stars
While Kyle Tucker got the better of him in Game 1, Aaron Nola has experienced success against other batters in the Astros’ lineup. Nola has given up just two combined hits against Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, and Alex Bregman in his career. His success against the Astros suggests that he should be able to bounce back from his difficult World Series debut.
Nola will face off against Astros right-hander Cristian Javier in Game 4 of the World Series tonight at Citizens Bank Park. The first pitch is scheduled for 8:03pm/ET.
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