Aaron Nola outduels buddy Zach Eflin to lead Phillies to 3-1 win over Rays

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The day before Aaron Nola and Zach Eflin shared a big-league mound, they did what came naturally all these years.

“We just hung out at my house,” Nola said.

Just like old times.

Nola and his wife have a house near the Phillies’ training complex in Clearwater, Fla. Eflin, after eight years with the Phillies, plays for the Rays now. Monday was a day off for both teams.

But there was a game Tuesday, and for the first time since they met in 2015, Nola and Eflin weren’t on the same side. So, the friends wished each other well — “Just said, ‘Good luck, man,’ not too much smack-talking,” Nola laughed — and agreed to meet up when it was over.

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Then, for seven innings, they dueled. Nola leaned on his sinker, a pitch that has been Eflin’s trademark; Eflin snapped curveballs that rivaled Nola’s signature bender.

And by the slimmest of margins, Nola bested his bestie with 7⅓ dazzling innings in a 3-1 victory that gave the Phillies possession of the final National League wild-card spot by a percentage point over the Brewers and Giants.

“Honestly, it kind of felt like when I faced my brother [Austin],” Nola said, referring to a 2021 showdown with the Padres. “Kind of the emotion, the nerves. But it was awesome, man. That was fun facing Eff out there. We were with each other for so long.”

They were teammates dating to 2015 at double-A Reading. Nola supported Eflin after a series of knee surgeries; Eflin propped up Nola after September collapses and watched him develop into a top-of-the-rotation starter. Nola got married last December; Eflin was a groomsman.

What better time, then, for Nola to produce a gem? Fourth of July. Against the American League’s highest-powered offense. Toe-to-toe with Eflin.

If Nola was nervous, catcher J.T. Realmuto couldn’t tell. Eflin said he “had more jitters during this game than I did during any World Series or playoff game last year.”

Clearly, it was more than another start for both of them.

“Two best friends going at it,” Bryce Harper said. “It was really cool to see.”

Eflin, who will receive his National League championship ring from the Phillies on Wednesday, struck out the side in the first inning. Nola struck out four of the first five batters. Eflin blinked in the second, allowing a run on back-to-back two-out doubles by Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm.

But it stayed 1-0 until the seventh inning, when Harper stroked an opposite-field double and scored when Stott punched a two-strike sinker through the right side for an RBI single.

“They both threw the ball great,” Realmuto said. “I know they both had some mixed emotions before the game. There was a lot of just, I don’t want to say ‘pressure,’ but added emotions that were going through both of them. I wish Zach hadn’t thrown so well, but it was cool to see them both go out and throw the ball well.”

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Said Eflin: “It was like 50% excitement and 50% anxiety. I was there for eight years, and [eight] months ago, we went on a World Series run. It was really fun seeing a bunch of familiar faces. [Stinks] we lost the game, but I was happy with the way I commanded the ball.”

It might have even brought the best out of Nola, who has had a disappointing first half. A few days ago, he took stock of starting pitching that has carried the Phillies back into contention by saying, “I’ve got to pick it up a little more and be a little more consistent.”

Nola featured a curveball that Realmuto said was as sharp as it’s been all year. He also continued a recent trend by throwing his sinker more often.

And rather than letting potential rallies mushroom, his downfall for much of the season, Nola stranded runners in the second, third, fourth, and sixth innings, never losing control over the game.

Nola knew he wouldn’t have much recovery time between innings. Not with how quickly Eflin works. And maybe that was a good thing because it kept Nola in a rhythm.

“He was nasty tonight, too,” Nola said. “He was rolling. Just kind of how he does. He was quick all the time. Every time I sat down in the dugout, he was two strikes to every guy. That was vintage him. It was fun competing against him.”

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They exchanged jerseys after the game. And although Nola said they resisted the temptation to wager dinner on the game, they were planning on getting together, as usual, to mark the occasion.

“It was fun to throw it back and compete against [the Phillies],” Eflin said. “There’s just a bunch of tremendous people over there. And on top of that, I got to pitch against my best friend.

“I’m so thankful for Aaron’s friendship and the mentorship and what kind of teammate he is. He’s helped me so much throughout my career. He’s been a big brother to me my entire career and really helped me kind of find myself in the big leagues. It was really cool to kind of toe-off with him.”

Harper’s career-long homerless streak continued, albeit by inches.

With two out in the eighth inning, Harper launched a ball 382 feet to the right-field wall and out of Josh Lowe’s reach. But it stayed in the park, and because Harper didn’t run out of the box, he settled for a long RBI single.

“I thought it was a fly ball,” said Harper, who hasn’t gone deep in 32 games and 143 plate appearances since May 25 in Atlanta. “I thought it was an out. It just kind of kept going. I don’t think I hit it good enough to get it out.”

Manager Rob Thomson said he intended to talk to Harper about not hustling.

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After regretting that he wasn’t more assertive on a fly ball that fell between him and Kyle Schwarber in Sunday’s loss to the Nationals, center fielder Brandon Marsh took charge in the fifth inning.

Christian Bethancourt led off with a drive to the gap in left-center. But as Marsh and Schwarber converged, Marsh called for the ball, slid feet-first, and made the catch as Schwarber peeled off.