'Different look' for Aaron Nola pays off with six scoreless innings in Phillies' 1-0 win over Marlins

Scott Lauber, The Philadelphia Inquirer on May 4, 2026

Published in Baseball

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MIAMI — Before Aaron Nola uncorked even one of his signature breaking pitches Monday night, the Phillies threw a curveball with the lineup.

Behind the plate: Garrett Stubbs.

Why not? Nola got hit hard in his two previous starts. And even though J.T. Realmuto has since returned from the injured list, the veteran right-hander has always worked well with Stubbs, now the Phillies’ third catcher.

Maybe it should be a permanent arrangement.

Following Stubbs’ lead in calling pitches, and with an assist from his throwing arm, Nola dazzled for six innings and made Bryce Harper’s early homer hold up in a 1-0 victory over the Miami Marlins to clinch a winning series.

Nola scattered five hits, all singles. And Stubbs erased two of them by throwing out Jakob Marsee in the third inning and Otto López in the fourth when both tried to swipe second base.

And so, Mattingly Magic continued. The Phillies are 6-1 since interim manager Don Mattingly replaced deposed Rob Thomson, with a six-game homestand against the Athletics and Colorado Rockies set to begin Tuesday night.

But for as smart as Mattingly looked in pairing up Nola and Stubbs — “I just want to give Noles a little different look and feel back there,” he said before the game — the biggest reason for the Phillies’ uptick is starting pitching.

Consider the last spin through the rotation:

— Tuesday: Jesús Luzardo — 7 innings, 0 runs

— Thursday: Cristopher Sánchez — 6 2/3 innings, 2 runs

— Friday: Zack Wheeler — 6 innings, 1 run

— Saturday: Andrew Painter — 5 innings, 3 runs

— Sunday: Luzardo — 6 1/3 innings, 2 runs

— Monday: Nola — 6 innings, 0 runs

Add it all up, and that’s eight runs in the last 37 innings for a 1.95 ERA. The starters combined for 45 strikeouts and only eight walks. Neither Luzardo nor Nola walked a batter in the last two games against the Marlins.

It’s a winning recipe.

Nola leaned on his curveball as much as any start so far this season. He didn’t allow a runner to reach second base before yielding to relievers Tanner Banks, José Alvarado and fill-in closer Brad Keller for the last nine outs.