By Todd Zolecki | 2:01 a.m. EDT
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PHILADELPHIA – Aaron Nola could be the key to Broad Street.
Before the Phillies played their first postseason game this month, catcher JT Realmuto said, “The Phillies are at their best when Nola plays.” [at] his best.” With Nola facing Zack Wheeler at the top of the rotation, Philadelphia is essentially a more diverse, more daunting team.
Realmuto’s comments felt truer than ever Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park, as Nola pitched six scoreless innings in the Phillies’ 10-0 victory over Arizona in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series. The win improved the Phils to 6-0 at home this postseason and 28-11 since The Bank opened in 2004.
“These guys are horses,” Kyle Schwarber said. “The way these guys are throwing the ball now is fantastic. And it makes our work much easier.”
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The Phillies are hitting home runs at a record pace this postseason, including three in Game 2. The bullpen is dominating hitters with its dirty stuff. Wheeler leads the rotation and pitches like one of baseball’s all-time great starters. But how much better will everything get if Nola is like this for the rest?
“We’re definitely excited about our opportunities,” Nola said. “We have to keep working hard and competing. We’ll do our best until the end, right? But we still have a little way to go. We have a good Arizona team at their home park in a few days. We have to take it step by step.”
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Nola allowed three hits in Game 2. He struck out seven, including three that faced backdoor sinkers and four on curveballs. In between, he threw one of his better changes of the season.
“He continued to be consistent in staying one step ahead of the guys,” Realmuto said. “He mixed his pitches well, using both right-handed and left-handed fastballs while utilizing both sides of the plate. He’s really just unpredictable, gets ahead of guys and can hold them off when he’s in the lead.”
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Nola is 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA in three starts this postseason. He allowed two runs in 18 2/3 innings, including 19 strikeouts and two walks. The only other pitchers to meet or exceed these numbers in a three-game span in a single postseason are John Smoltz of the Braves (1991) and Cliff Lee (2010) of the Rangers.
“I just try to follow Wheels as much as I can,” Nola said. “He sets the tone for us every time he gets the ball out. He gives us a chance every time he steps on the mound.”
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Nola went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA in his first two starts of the 2022 postseason, then went 0-2 with a 9 ERA in his final three games, including two against Houston in the World Series. 69. He followed that finish with one of the worst regular seasons of his career, going 12-9 with a 4.46 ERA over 32 starts in 2023 while giving up a career-best 32 homers.
Nola will be a free agent after the season, so his walk year wasn’t the best time for him to struggle. But it speaks to his mindset and abilities that he increases his performance at the right time. If the 30-year-old right-hander feels pressure to be better in a contract year or for a team with a franchise-record payroll and World Series or bust expectations, he isn’t showing it.
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“It’s definitely a bigger stage, right?” Nola said. “I think the cool thing about our team is that we all have fun. We don’t look at super pressure games, super pressure situations. We like that, but I think the way everyone works together takes the pressure off. We all pull for each other. Nobody is selfish, as you can probably see in the dugout. I think that’s what our team does well.”
“It just shows what kind of competitor he is and what kind of person he is,” Wheeler said. “He’s one of the harder-working people on the team. I don’t think he was really nervous about pitching this season because of the impending contract or whatever. But there are also some burdens that come with it.
“I don’t know if that bothered him or what. I never spoke to him about it. But I just knew he would come around. We know the type of pitcher he is and he pitches well.”
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It’s funny to look back at a few weeks ago. In August, Phillies fans actually debated who should start Game 2 of a postseason series. It was silly to discuss it because Nola was always number 2 on the team, even when he struggled.
Nola has to hold out for a few more weeks. The Phillies believe he will. Nola thinks he will. He made some mechanical adjustments and introduced a sliding kick that slows down the running game.
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Nola’s next start would be Game 6 (if necessary) of the NLCS on Monday, but that may not be necessary. Teams that take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series have won 75 of 89 times (84 percent). Only two teams have recovered from a 2-0 deficit in the last 26 years: the 2020 Dodgers against the Braves in the NLCS and the 2004 Red Sox against the Yankees in the ALCS.
When Nola is needed, he is ready. If not, he will be called up for Game 2 of the World Series on October 28th.
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