PHILADELPHIA — The postseason was here and just as he was asked to do a year ago, Aaron Nola sat on a pre-series stage as the next day’s scheduled starting pitcher, talking about how excited he was to be part of the playoffs.
“It’s an exciting time to be here in the postseason again,” Nola said.
While that may be obvious, and while the Phillies were very familiar with the vibe of the postseason and wild card round opponent Miami Marlins, there should be something very different Wednesday night when Nola takes the mound at Citizens Bank Park.
He’ll could be doing so as a pitcher showcasing himself for free agency.
Nola, 30, who reportedly turned down a $100 million-plus contract extension offer from the Phils before the sides discontinued talks last March, wasn’t exactly the picture of pitching consistency this season. But he nonetheless should command free agency attention from several monied MLB ownerships and a long-term deal that could equate to some $30-plus million per year.
It remains to be seen how much effort the Phillies will make to keep him from leaving. Either way, he’s largely avoided the subject during the season and danced lightly around the question again Tuesday.
“I just want to win for this team,” Nola said. “I want to go out and do good and try to give the team the best chance to win. That’s kind of what I’ve focused on all year. And tomorrow that’s what I’m going to be focus on, too. Try to have a good start and put the guys in the best (position) to win. That’s what it’s all about right now. We want to get back to where we were last year and a little bit more. That’s everybody’s goal right now.”
The longer a Phillies postseason, the better for Nola in the offseason. The usual pitching-hungry teams like the Angels and Yankees would be likely landing places for him, but don’t be surprised if the Phillies, who exercised a $16 million option on Nola’s contract for this season, make another hard pitch to reach an accord with their No. 2 starter and longest-tenured pitcher.
“For me it’s kind of easy to stay focused on that, because this is what I’ve always trained for,” Nola said. “It’s what everybody in that clubhouse has trained for, to get to this point, to get to the postseason and hopefully have a good run.”
Not that Nola would ever consider it an audition for the postseason, but he’ll be looking to show better than the 12-9, 4.46 ERA, 1.151 WHIP pitcher he was in 32 starts this season. Against the Marlins, Nola went 0-2 in three starts, allowing four earned runs in each.
The 4.46 is the second-worst of his nine-year Phillies career, but for better news he finished strong. Nola went six innings and allowed only two earned runs with eight strikeouts in Atlanta on Sept. 20. In his final regular season start, he went 6 2/3 against the Pirates, limiting them to one earned run with eight strikeouts. Both were no-decisions.
“Those are in the past, but I felt good those past two outings,” Nola said. “Hopefully, I can keep this going (Wednesday). I’m just excited for this series. It’s not really a new team we’re facing. We see them a lot. They’ve seen our pitching staff a good bit. They’re a good squad. It’s going to be a hard-fought battle, and we’re ready to compete against them.”
As for the pressure to perform, Nola added he felt it should be, “a little bit easier, since I kind of experienced it last year.”
“I know what to expect a little bit more,” he said. “But I’m just going to treat it like another game because it is another game. It’s just later on in the season, a certain amount of teams are in the postseason. Obviously, it’s a little bit bigger stakes than a game during the year, but it’s still just another game.”
Source: Berkshire mont
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