The Phillies scrapped a planned bullpen game against Tampa Bay on Sept. 26, naming Aaron Nola to start on two days’ rest. Philadelphia leads Arizona by one game for the final NL wild-card spot with two games left, but the Diamondbacks hold the tiebreaker.
Nola’s previous start was Sept. 23 against Milwaukee, when he threw 88 pitches over six innings and allowed four runs. He is 7-11 with a 4.54 ERA this season after 32 starts.
Philadelphia had lost three straight while Arizona had won six in a row. The Phillies’ bullpen had a 5.23 ERA in September, 27th in MLB, and could still handle most of the game with Nola on short rest. Tampa Bay had the American League’s best record.
