Trying to ‘soak it in as much as possible,’ Aaron Nola delivers again for Phillies in Game 3

For much of the year, Aaron Nola did not seem like the pitcher he was last season.

He had a 4.42 ERA in the regular season, compared to last year’s 3.25. His strikeout rate was down, and his walk rate was up. But for the second consecutive postseason start, Nola came up big for the Phillies.

“It’s always kind of addicting to be out there, especially in the postseason here,” Nola said.

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In the Phillies’ 10-2 victory over the Braves in Game 3 of the NLDS on Wednesday, Nola went 5⅔ innings, allowing six hits and two earned runs, and had a playoff career-high nine strikeouts.

“Nols is one of the best in the game, in these moments and in these opportunities as well,” Bryce Harper said. “Anytime that he and [Zack Wheeler] go out there, we have all the faith in their abilities to win us games, to single-handedly win us games.”

Out of 24 batters faced, Nola threw 18 first-pitch strikes.

“It was all about getting ahead of them and getting the leadoff hitter out,” Nola said. “Especially with these guys, they’re tougher. The offense gave me a lot of run support, too.”

Nola’s knuckle curve continues to be one of his best pitches. He generated eight swings-and-misses from Braves hitters with the pitch. Five of Nola’s strikeouts came on the knuckle curve, the rest coming off his four-seam fastball.

He didn’t turn to his changeup as much as he usually does, an in-game adjustment that ended up working in his favor. Nola threw just 10 changeups out of 92 total pitches.

“I didn’t really have the best feel for it,” Nola said. “It wasn’t consistent. It was flat, and I was pulling it and it was going arm-side, it wasn’t going where I wanted it to go.”

Nola allowed a pair of two-out singles from Austin Riley and Matt Olson in the first inning. Nola, who earlier this season had issues pitching with runners on base, did not allow that to rattle him. He struck out Marcell Ozuna looking to strand them.

“I think squaring up, especially when I’m in the stretch, not over rotating my upper body too much, it’s definitely helped out my pitches,” Nola said.

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Nola was again able to get Ozuna out in a big spot in the third inning. Ronald Acuña and Ozzie Albies strung together a double and a single, respectively, to give the Braves a 1-0 lead. With two out, Nola walked Olson, the only free pass he issued on the night, bringing Ozuna to the plate. After a mound visit, Nola struck him out swinging with a knuckle curve.

“That was big,” Nola said. “I felt like if I could’ve commanded in my curveball, I had a good chance to get [Ozuna] out.”

Added manager Rob Thomson: “Really getting out of that, and I thought he was really good all night. Locating his fastballs, curveball was really good.”

At this point in the postseason, every start may be Nola’s last in a Phillies uniform, as he is eligible to become a free agent after the season. After his last start of the regular season against the Pirates and his Game 2 wild-card start against the Marlins, Nola left the ballpark knowing he would get to take the mound again for the Phillies.

That’s uncertain this time, and entirely out of Nola’s control. Whether he will start again depends on whether the Phillies can close out the series in Game 4 on Thursday, or if necessary, Game 5 on Saturday.

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“It hasn’t set in,” Nola said. “Just trying to be as much as in the moment tonight as I could. … I hope I have some more starts here.”

Nola left the mound in the sixth inning to a standing ovation from the crowd at Citizens Bank Park, and he tipped his hat to the fans.

“I just want to soak it in as much as possible. The fans were awesome tonight, as usual,” Nola said. “Coming off the mound, it felt like they turned up the notch a little bit, which was pretty awesome, pretty special. So I wanted to tip my cap, thank them.

“That’s why they’re the best, man. They were up from pitch one. To the end of the game they’re standing up.”