Aaron Nola and Nick Castellanos lead the way in 8-4 victory over Toronto Blue Jays

Aaron Nola’s second pitch of the sixth inning Tuesday night landed in the right-field bleachers. He walked the next batter, then gave up an infield single to put the go-ahead run on base. There were no outs.

Here we go again, right?

Not this time.

Rather than unraveling like balled-up yarn, as he and other Phillies pitchers have tended to do early in the season — and in the pitch-clock era — Nola took a breath during a mound visit, pulled it together, and got three outs to walk off the mound with a one-run lead intact en route to an 8-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

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“Just tried not to be too perfect,” Nola said.

There were other cuticle-chomping moments in a series-opening win that was powered by Nick Castellanos’ three hits, including a home run, before another sellout crowd at Citizens Bank Park. Lefty reliever Gregory Soto’s white-knuckle stranding of loaded bases in the seventh inning springs to mind.

But considering Nola’s struggles with the pitch clock and how essential both he and co-ace Zack Wheeler are to the defending National League champs’ chances of repeating, his sixth-inning escape was the most encouraging development for the Phillies.

“It was really good,” manager Rob Thomson. “He knuckled down and stayed focused.”

Nola exhibited a livelier fastball than in his previous seven starts. Entering the game, his average velocity was down from 92.8 mph last year to 91.6 mph. Neither he nor team officials were overly concerned by the dip, likely a byproduct of a shorter-than-usual offseason and more gradual build-up of arm strength.

Sure enough, Nola reached back and found 95 mph early in the game. Overall, he averaged 93 mph.

But it was his signature curveball that got him out of trouble in the sixth inning. Matt Chapman rolled one to third base for a fielder’s choice. Nola froze Brandon Belt on a breaking ball for a called third strike and got Alejandro Kirk to ground out on a first-pitch curve.

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“Just [wanted] to get it down and away,” Nola said. “I did, and they had a couple groundouts with that.”

It was a stark contrast to some of Nola’s other starts. Remember opening day in Texas, when he came undone in a nine-run fourth inning? Nola was never the quickest worker, and with the pitch clock, he’s unable to step off the rubber as often as before in an attempt to regroup.

But Castellanos said he could sense a more relaxed Nola, which hardly seems possible considering Nola is outwardly as chilled-out as any player in the clubhouse.

“He’s a very calm individual,” Castellanos said. “He enjoys traveling around the country in a van, right? So, I feel that when he has that peace within, he’s able to compete the way that he wants to. I feel like me and him are similar in that regard.

“Today, I don’t know, he just kind of felt settled in, I guess. He just kind of had that ambience about him that he had last year. Sometimes it takes a minute to get settled into the season, but there definitely was a little more freedom from his windup to his release.”

As much as anyone, Castellanos can relate to the importance of being at ease.

Castellanos is much more comfortable than in his disappointing first season with the Phillies and continues to be the team’s most consistent hitter. After lifting a pitch from Blue Jays starter Alek Manoah around the left-field foul pole for a two-run homer in the fourth inning, he fist-bumped his 9-year-old son, Liam, who was standing in the front row behind the on-deck circle.

“It’s everything, right?” Castellanos said. “My kids are the most important thing. So, to be able to share the game that I selfishly love with my kids, who I selflessly love, it doesn’t get much better than that.”

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Thomson used Soto in the seventh inning and Connor Brogdon with a one-run lead in the eighth, high-leverage spots that typically call for José Alvarado. But Alvarado was unavailable after feeling tightness in his wrist before the game.

“Maybe I slept [awkwardly] on my arm. I don’t know,” Alvarado said. “Hopefully I’m ready to go tomorrow.”

Thomson said the Phillies will reevaluate Alvarado on Wednesday.

Kyle Schwarber left the game with a bruised left foot, according to the Phillies. X-rays were negative for a fracture.

Schwarber fouled a fastball off his foot in the sixth inning.

With Bryce Harper occupying the DH spot, Schwarber will need to be able to play left field. Dalton Guthrie, who replaced Schwarber in the seventh inning, is the Phillies’ spare outfielder, although Josh Harrison can also play left field.

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Credit an assist to the pitch clock for the Phillies’ third run.

Brandon Marsh was granted a leadoff walk in the fifth inning when Manoah didn’t deliver a full-count pitch in the allotted 15 seconds. Three batters and two outs later, Trea Turner hit a two-strike heater on the hands for a single to center field that scored Marsh from first base for a 3-1 lead.

Buoyed by another “Dollar Dog Night” promotion, the Phillies sold out their fourth consecutive game. Through 17 home games, they have had 10 sellout crowds.

Wheeler (3-2, 4.26 ERA) is scheduled to start the finale of the two-game miniseries at 4:05 p.m. Wednesday. He will be opposed by Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman (2-3, 3.86), Nola’s college teammate at LSU.

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