Erstwhile Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola shined yet again on Monday night, locking up a fearsome Venezuelan offense in the semifinal round of the World Baseball Classic. If there was any doubt left about Nola’s ability to pitch at an elite level, he put it to rest with back-to-back brilliant outings for Team Italy.
After shutting down a tough Mexican team last Wednesday, Nola took the mound in a do-or-die matchup against Team Venezuela in the tournament’s penultimate round. Against a lineup that included Ronald Acuña Jr., William Conteras and Gleyber Torres, among other All-Stars, Nola shoved, allowing only a single run in four innings of work.