Philadelphia will start Aaron Nola against Tampa Bay on Saturday after just two days’ rest, with its NL wild-card lead over Arizona down to one game. The Phillies entered the day with a magic number of two after going 9-13 in September.
Nola last pitched Wednesday, striking out eight over six innings in Philadelphia’s 4-1 loss to Milwaukee. He enters Saturday at 7-11 with a 4.54 ERA. He skipped his usual Friday bullpen session, and the Phillies may limit his workload; manager Don Mattingly said Nola typically throws 40 to 50 pitches in bullpen sessions between starts.
Philadelphia has scored two runs in its last 27 innings and hit one home run in its last 55; Friday’s 2-0 loss was its 12th shutout this season. J.T. Realmuto is 0-for-32 with a .206 average, while Luis Arraez remains sidelined with a severe left-ankle sprain. If the Phillies do not clinch Saturday, Zack Wheeler could start Sunday, potentially making him unavailable early in the NL Wild Card Series.
