Aaron Nola throws a gem as Phillies complete sweep of Cardinals with 3-0 win

There are still five weeks left in the regular season, but the Phillies have done enough in August to allow themselves the chance to envision what October could feel like. And a three-game sweep of the Cardinals — culminated by Sunday’s 3-0 win — served as a reminder of how dangerous the Phils could be in a postseason series.

Aaron Nola did not allow a run in seven innings as the Phils starters combined for three earned runs in 20 innings against the Cards. The Phils scored 22 runs in three games, but that’s almost expected as the team was constructed to be carried by the lineup. The best path back to the World Series is matching that lineup with arms. For three days, they did just that.

“It’s a really good thing that we’re hitting our stride when we want to,” said Kyle Schwarber, who started the first with a leadoff homer. “We’re getting to the latter part of the year. We have to keep pushing. We have to keep going. Nothing is set in stone. Nothing is safe for us. We have to take it a day at a time.”

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Nola was excellent as he struck out nine, walked one, and allowed one hit. He retired 21 of the 22 batters he faced after allowing a leadoff double in the first. Nola threw just 95 pitches. Manager Rob Thomson could have pushed him another inning, but an inning saved in August could be more gas for the season’s final stretch.

“I feel good,” Nola said. “My body feels really good. All physically and mentally. So I hope that I keep it going. Have a good work week this week and stay healthy through September.”

It was Nola’s second-straight seven-inning start and he seems to be finding his groove at the right time. Not only can he push the Phils to October, but he is set to enter free agency after the season. A finishing kick can only increase his worth. Usually reliant on his curveball for strikeouts, Nola used his fastball for seven of his nine strikeouts. He threw first-pitch strikes to 15 of the 23 batters he faced. He attacked the Cardinals and breezed through the lineup.

“I never enjoyed facing Noles when I was an opposing player,” Schwarber said. “It’s a plus-curveball, but the fastball, too, is plus just because of the different types of movement that he can get with it. … It’s completely different pitches.”

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The Phillies hit five homers in the first two games of the series before doing the little things on Sunday. After Schwarber’s homer, they found ways to scratch out two more runs. Johan Rojas doubled in the fifth, moved to third on a groundout, and scored on a sacrifice fly. Two innings later, Trea Turner took an extra base and moved to third on Nick Castellanos’ single. Bryce Harper singled him in and the Phillies found a way to create another run. It wasn’t just homers.

“Take what they give you,” Thomson said. “Those are the little things that you have to do. Coming down the stretch, entering the playoffs, they’re all going to be tight ballgames.”

Zack Wheeler’s ERA this month (3.00) was his best of the season. Like Nola, he seems to be pitching his best at the right time. A year ago, he was on the injured list. This year, he’s pushing himself into the conversation for the Cy Young Award.

The Phillies, assuming they make the playoffs, will reach October as a wild-card team. But it’s hard to imagine a division champion yearning to face them if Nola and Wheeler pitch like this and the lineup hits the way it has all month.

“It’s like classic Wheeler-Nola,” Schwarber said.

The Phillies enter Monday — a week from Labor Day — with possession of the first of three wild-card spots and a 3½-game lead over the fourth-place team. They play just 13 of their final 31 games against teams with winning records. They open a three-game series Monday against the Angels, who fell out of contention this month and will be without Mike Trout while Shohei Ohtani can no longer pitch.

The Phillies, according to FanGraphs, have a 94.3% chance to make the playoffs. That number will only increase if they keep rolling this week. Last year, the Phillies were chasing a playoff spot. This year, they’re holding on to one. And the teams chasing them do not appear to be particularly dangerous.

It’s still early and the Cardinals are finishing off a lost season. But a weekend like this is enough to start dreaming of another October. The only thing missing Sunday were the red towels.

“Everything is trending in the right direction,” Schwarber said.