Team Italy earned a 9-1 victory over Team Mexico to officially clinch their spot in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals on Wednesday. Italy's win also allowed Team USA to advance to the next round. Aaron Nola had a strong start for Team Italy on the mound, turning in five innings of shutout baseball while striking out five hitters. He had plenty of run support, with Vinnie Pasquantino crushing three home runs in the victory.
Nola's MLB team, the Philadelphia Phillies, took notice of his performance and shared a post on X, formerly Twitter.
5 IP | 4 H | 0 ER | 1 BB | 5 K
That's A Nola 🇮🇹 pic.twitter.com/kQtVSfxb5c
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) March 12, 2026
“That's A Nola,” the team wrote.
Nola's curveball is his best pitch when he's on top of his game. That was the case on Wednesday night.
“I feel like I was getting ahead for the most part of the game. Curveball felt pretty good, sharp,” Nola said after the contest, via MLB Network. “… Fastball felt kind of jumpy early on. JJ (D'Orazio) did good behind the dish tonight… Overall, felt pretty good getting ahead.”
Nola, 32, was an All-Star back in 2018. In 2022, he finished fourth in National League Cy Young voting. He's been inconsistent over the past few years, however.
In 2025, Nola was limited to only 17 starts. He recorded a lackluster 6.01 ERA while on the mound. The right-handed hurler still features the ceiling of an All-Star pitcher, which is exactly what he displayed for Team Italy on Wednesday.
Italy is looking to shock the baseball world by making a World Baseball Classic championship run. Their game in the quarterfinals is scheduled for Saturday, as they will play Team Puerto Rico.
