Categories: 2023 Postgame Recaps

Nola and Rojas shine, Phillies clinch playoff berth for second year in a row

Aaron Nola pitched the Phillies into the postseason Tuesday. (John Jones/Icon Sportswire)

Aaron Nola dazzled, Johan Rojas delivered a big hit and the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates Tuesday evening to clinch their second consecutive trip to the postseason as a National League Wild Card representative.

A year after his dominant performance in Houston helped the Phillies to snap a 10-year postseason drought, Nola once again turned in a tremendous outing with a playoff spot on the line.

In what could be the impending free-agent‘s final regular season start at Citizens Bank Park as a Phillie, Nola finished the evening allowing just four hits and one run over 6 2/3 innings pitched. The 30-year-old struck out eight batters, and now has five seasons in his career where he’s recorded 200 or more strikeouts, including three in a row.

Pittsburgh starter Mitch Keller pitched five no-hit innings Tuesday, before a struggling Brandon Marsh broke out with a 412-foot home run to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning:

Before the inning was out, the Phillies would add a second run as a Bryce Harper sacrifice fly scored Kyle Schwarber.

To their credit, the Pirates would strike back in the top of the seventh, as Bryan Reynolds led off the inning by hitting a Nola pitch into Philadelphia’s bullpen. Solo home runs and an inability to get shutdown innings have plagued Nola in 2023, and have to be a concern with the postseason looming.

However, Nola recorded two more outs before giving way to Matt Strahm. And as noted by Phillies Nation‘s Bailey Falter, for as disappointing as this regular season has been from Nola, he finished the season with two impressive starts:

But Craig Kimbrel came on to pitch the eighth inning, and coughed up the lead, allowing a home run for the second consecutive appearance. This one was a rocket off the bat of former No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis, which tied the game:

Following a scoreless ninth inning, Jeff Hoffman inherited the ghost runner in the top of the 10th inning. While he walked the leadoff batter in the inning, Hoffman ultimately struck out Davis to strand runners on second and third base.

Cristian Pache pinch ran for Nick Castellanos in the home half of the 10th inning, serving as the ghost runner for the Phillies. With All-Star closer David Bednar on the mound for the Pirates, Johan Rojas delivered a walk-off single with one out to score Pache, sending the Phillies to the postseason. Obviously, when the Phillies envisioned reaching the playoffs at the outset of the season, that’s just how everyone drew it up…

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