The Philadelphia Phillies kicked off their six-game road trip to Denver with a fun little wrinkle, as two former teammates in more than one way took the ball in Game 1 of the series. Both Phillies starter Aaron Nola and Rockies hurler Michael Lorenzen pitched for Team Italy at the most recent World Baseball Classic.
Lorenzen, a Phillies alumnus, is best known for his no-hitter performance in August of 2023 in just his second start for the team. The longtime Cincinnati Reds starter was just what the doctor ordered for a Phillies club short on rotation depth down the stretch, and provided the feel-good story of the year for a team that should have gone all the way to the World Series.
More recently, both Lorenzen and Nola played key roles for Italy at this winter’s World Baseball Classic, as the pair were the two most experienced starting pitchers on the team. Nola turned in a vintage performance to lift his squad to the quarterfinals, and turned back the clock once again in the semifinal round. All told, the 32-year-old tossed nine brilliant frames of one run ball, punching out eight batters along the way.
Lorenzen was just as effective in pool play where he stifled a disappointing American offense over 4 ⅔ innings of work. Unfortunately, the wheels came off in Italy's final contest when the 34-year-old surrendered three runs in relief of Nola.
Two Team Italy stars had very different outcomes in Friday's Phillies-Rockies game
It’s always fun to see a Phillies-centric matchup, and Friday’s game didn’t disappoint. Coming off of a dramatic come-from-behind victory over the Nationals on Wednesday, the Phils bludgeoned the Rockies 10-1 in the series opener. Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Brandon Marsh all homered in a long-awaited offensive eruption.
Just as importantly, Nola looked like his old All-Star self, firing 6 ⅓ innings of one run ball, yielding only six baserunners and fanning nine Rockies hitters. On the other side of the ledger, Lorenzen was brutalized for nine earned runs in only three innings of work, surrendering 12 hits. In the battle between “Italian” aces, it’s nice to see Nola get the better of his former teammate.