Eagles DC Vic Fangio shouts out Phillies' Aaron Nola for huge start vs Mets

Matt Sullivan

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Eagles DC Vic Fangio shouts out Phillies' Aaron Nola for huge start vs Mets image

The Philadelphia Phillies began a massive four-game series against the New York Mets on Monday, and on the mound for Philadelphia was veteran starting pitcher Aaron Nola. After some rough few outings, the Phillies needed Nola to step up.

Step up he did, as Nola shut out the Mets through six innings of work, his best start this season by far. It helped the Phillies secure the 1-0 win and make the magic number to win the NL East shrink to just 11 games.

The next morning, Nola received his flowers from a big Phillies fan who also happens to be a fan favorite in Philadelphia, as Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio praised Nola during his press conference on Tuesday morning.

Vic Fangio Praised Aaron Nola for Big Outing vs the Mets

Fangio, the defensive coordinator for the Eagles who helped lead a revamped defense to a dominant Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, opened his press conference on Tuesday morning with some high praise for Nola after his big Mets start.

"Who woulda thought Nola would pitch that good last night?" Fangio said. "Every game's a new adventure."

The season that Nola has had in 2025 has certainly been an adventure, and for the most part, it hasn't been a good one. This year, Nola has a 6.24 ERA with a 4-8 record. He began the year off poorly, with a 6.16 ERA through nine starts before hitting the injured list.

He missed three months, and upon his return, he struggled in his first start back, allowing six earned runs in just 2.1 innings of work against the Washington Nationals. His next start was also against Washington, but he allowed two earned runs in six innings of work, which was a very encouraging sign for the Phillies, especially without Zack Wheeler.

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But across his next two starts, he allowed 10 earned runs in 11 innings of work, with a four and six-earned-run outing against the Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers.

His fifth start back was against the Mets, and he was dominant, going six innings, allowing three hits, two walks, and striking out seven in his best outing of the year.

The Phillies are trying to win a World Series, and Nola's resurgence would go a long way towards increasing those chances. If he can build off this Mets start, the Phillies could limit the impact that losing Wheeler for the year can have on the team.

This shoutout from Fangio is a well-deserved one for Nola, as the veteran pitcher had his best outing this season at the best possible time. The Phillies needed such an outing from Nola, and he delivered in a big way.

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Matt Sullivan

Matt Sullivan is a freelance writer for The Sporting News, predominantly covering MLB. Matt is a native of Pennsylvania and has worked with Athlon Sports, Last Word on Sports, and other outlets.