Aaron Nola starts on two days’ rest vs. Rays as Phillies look to clinch postseason berth
Nola, who was the winning pitcher in the Phillies' 2022 wild-card clincher, may just go through the Rays' lineup once.
Aaron Nola is coming on for the save.
With the Phillies desperate to snap a three-game losing skid and clinch the final National League wild card, Nola will start — on two days’ rest — Saturday night against the Rays in Citizens Bank Park.
The Phillies discussed going with Zack Wheeler on three days’ rest, according to interim manager Don Mattingly, but settled on Nola because he typically throws 40- to 50-pitch bullpen sessions between starts, nearly twice as many as most starters.
“If anybody’s built for this, it’s probably Nola,” Mattingly said. “He is a guy who is more old-school than anybody.”
The Phillies are down a starter because Jesús Luzardo remains on the injured list with a strained left shoulder. He’s eligible for reinstatement Sunday and will be available to pitch if the Phillies must win, Mattingly said. Wheeler is lined up to start Sunday’s season finale, but likely only if the Phillies haven’t clinched yet.
Mattingly said the Phillies briefed Nola on Thursday about the possibility of starting on short rest for the first time in his career. He skipped his scheduled bullpen session Friday and was informed after Friday night’s game that he would be starting.
It’s unclear how many pitches Nola will be able to throw against the Rays. He threw 88 and allowed four runs in six innings Wednesday night in a 4-1 loss to the Brewers, the first of three consecutive losses that kept the Phillies’ magic number frozen at two.
“Not necessarily a full start or anything like that,” said Mattingly, who cited 40 to 50 pitches as a “reasonable” goal, which could get him through the Rays’ order at least once. “He’s only had a couple of days off, so we’ll just see what it looks like and go from there.”
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The Phillies’ lead over the Diamondbacks has dwindled to one game with two remaining. They can make the playoffs with any combination of wins and/or Arizona losses totaling two.
Nola, the longest-tenured Phillies player, started the 2022 wild-card clincher (in Game 160 in Houston). He has a 3.12 ERA in 89⅓ innings over his last 15 starts after posting a 6.04 ERA in 85 innings over his first 17 starts.
Former Mets and Orioles GM Jim Duquette, now the host of a show on MLB Network Radio, joined Phillies Extra to discuss how Dave Dombrowski can improve the roster and which free agents might fit best. He also offers a scouting report on Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato and weighs in on whether to expect a flurry of activity before the looming lockout. Watch here.
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