PHOENIX — Aaron Nola will take the mound Monday at Citizens Bank Park with a chance to send the Phillies to their second straight World Series.
When he addressed the media Saturday afternoon at Chase Field, it was possible his Game 6 start could’ve been to keep the Phillies alive in the postseason, trying to stanch the bleeding of a three-game skid.
But thanks to Zack Wheeler, some excellent defense and three massive home runs in Saturday’s 6-1 win over Arizona in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series, the stars have aligned for Nola to not only extend his time in a Phillies uniform but to take a place in club history that he’s earned.
The three mostly agonizing days in Arizona served as a microcosm for a trait Nola has developed in the journey to become probably the most sought-after arm on the free-agent market after this season.
After his six shutout innings in Game 2, Nola knew he’d have no role between the lines in Arizona. He was rooted to the dugout watching the Phillies bullpen let Game 3 slip away in walk-off fashion, then for the revolving door of eight Phillies pitchers in a one-run loss in Game 4.
Before Wheeler took the mound for Game 5 Saturday, the tenor of the series had changed totally – perhaps not in an ever optimistic Phillies clubhouse but just about everywhere else. Nola knew he was powerless to affect it.
“Two heartbreakers,” Nola said. “We were right up in both of those. I just try to learn as much as I can on the bench. I love watching the game. I love watching our pitchers and what they do and our hitters and try to learn the opposing team as much as possible.”
Ceding control is something Nola, so much a control pitcher on the mound, has had to embrace. Early in his career, on clubs that lost as many as 99 games and cycled quickly through managers, it meant relinquishing control over results, over what his win total said about him, over the quality of the fielders behind him or the offense supporting him. With the pitch clock implemented and an unusual propensity for giving up home runs in 2023, he had to block out factors beyond his reach by doubling down on his process over outcomes.
It’ll be that way once this playoff journey ends. Nola is fion the last days of a four-year, $45 million contract, one that has ensured his first decade in pro baseball, including nine major league seasons and 235 regular season starts, have been in Philadelphia. When the free agency frenzy opens, he’ll command a figure near $200 million, life-changing money for a reliable starter in an era where even the National League’s top two teams can’t conjure up four passable starting pitchers each.
Nola has generally put contract talk aside. He’s said that he hopes his long-term future resides in Philadelphia, but he’s unsure if that’ll happen. It’s yet another thing he can’t solely determine.
In light of the uncertainties, his performance in situations under his command this postseason is all the more remarkable. Nola struggled in the playoffs last season, with a 4.91 ERA and a 2-2 record in five starts.
This year, he’s been near unhittable: 3-0 with a 0.96 ERA, 12 hits allowed in 18.2 innings. The Phillies have won his three starts by a combined score of 27-3.
Including his final two starts of the regular season, he’s allowed five earned runs and one homer in his last 31.1 innings, an ERA of 1.44. He’s struck out 35 and walked two.
“The only thing I can control is the controllables, which is the delivery and mostly where the ball goes,” Nola said. “But once it leaves my hands, the results are out of my control. I’ve tried pretty much my whole career to understand that and to know that is out of my control.
“Baseball is baseball. Sometimes you make a pitch, and you get a bloop hit that scores a run. Sometimes you throw a pitch down the middle, and they pop it up. You just never know with this game. That’s why it’s so beautiful.”
Whatever comes next, Nola will have one more chance to compose a beauty in Philadelphia.
Source: Berkshire mont
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