🔔 Game 2 Observations: Bring on the Braves

_{LAST GAME: PHILLIES 7 - MARLINS 1}

_{NEXT GAME: Phillies (TBD) vs. Braves (TBD)}

_{Saturday, Oct. 7, 6:07 EDT | TBS, 94 WIP}

Good morning. Do you like October baseball? You do? Great — because you’re about to get more of it. The Phillies rolled the Marlins, 7-1, to complete an emphatic two-game wild card round sweep.

It’s not just that the Phillies took care of business in Game 2, it’s the way they went about that business. Contributions throughout the lineup, a grand slam off the bat of Bryson Stott, and 7 shutout innings from a resurgent Aaron Nola.

It all added up to a damn impressive performance. The Phillies look like a real problem for the Atlanta Braves.

In the email today:

No need to relive Aaron Nola’s 2023 regular season. By now, you know the deal. Contract year. Pitch clock problems. Lots of homers. Some good typically overshadowed by lots of bad. Frustration.

Well, Nola took a massive step forward last night in redefining the way his season will be remembered. He faced just 2 batters over the minimum in 7 shutout innings, allowing only 3 hits and a walk.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a hard time sizing up a Phillies-Braves NLDS rematch and finding a way to back the Phillies without resorting to things like vibes and the insanity of Red October. Good lineup, big arms in the back of the bullpen, Zack Wheeler — but this Braves team is good.

Offensively, it is crazy good.

But with the way the Phillies are playing right now? With this version of Aaron Nola? Maybe I’m a prisoner of the moment, but I feel that skepticism in my gut slowly turning into belief.

• Nola needed just 88 pitches to dispose of a Marlins lineup that had only 2 at-bats w/ RISP during the competitive portion of the game.

• Over his last 3 starts, Nola has a 1.37 ERA and 0.72 WHIP.

• In those 3 starts, 1 against the Braves, he’s allowed a total of 3 earned runs.

• One more for you — over his last 3 three starts, Nola has struck out 19 batters while walking 1.

Our take: The winner of the Phillies-Braves NLDS will win the 2023 World Series. I believe that is what is at stake beginning Saturday in Atlanta. The Phillies are the biggest betting underdog of the divisional round, but if Nola can dial up a similar effort against the Braves, he may just be the player that swings the series.

2) 👀 Other Game 2 Observations and Takes

We will dive into the Phillies-Braves NLDS matchup in the Friday newsletter, so today, let’s use this space to empty the notebook on the Phils’ 7-1 win over the Marlins.

• Over his final 30 regular season games, Bryson Stott hit just .212 with a .580 OPS. No worries. He was able to flip the switch back on this week against the Marlins, which included his 6th inning grand slam that basically ended the series. The Phillies will need to fire on all cylinders against the Braves, so it’s good to see Stott rolling again.

• Trea Turner carried his late-season momentum right into the playoffs. He reached base in 5 of his 8 plate appearances, which included a pair of doubles.

• Jon Berti destroyed the Marlins’ only chance to land a punch in Game 2. With Jacob Stallings at the plate in the 3rd inning, Nola picked off Berti as he made a move for third base. Stallings can’t hit, but the gaffe cost Luis Arraez a shot with RISP.

• Nola isn’t exactly known for his pickoff moves. In fact, he had picked off all of 3 baserunners in 114 starts (including playoffs) over the past 4 seasons before last night.

• Josh Bell went 4-for-8 against the Phillies this week. He accounted for 1/3 of the Marlins’ total hits across two games.

• The Phillies’ bullpen will be surely will face a stiffer test against the Braves, but the unit had a good start to its postseason run against the Marlins: 4.1 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K.

• I like that Rob Thomson got Orion Kerkering’s playoff debut out of the way with a 7-run lead. I know, slow heartbeat and all that stuff, but last night was still just his 4th career MLB appearance.

3) 🍼 Tweet: Have a Day, Aaron Nola

4) 📊 Poll: Will the Phillies Do It?

Have additional thoughts? Reply directly to this email to comment, and see if we include your response tomorrow.

…

Results from our last poll: What do you expect from Aaron Nola tonight (Game 2)?

Your replies…

“Nola has been a very good pitcher at home this season: 3.29 ERA. Down the stretch he has been better and I am expecting him to show up. He has a chance to re-write this season and go down as a legend; he will do so!!!!”

“I expect him to be lights out for 4-5 innings and then stumble. Hope Topper hides someone under the stadium or in the parking lot in the 4th to warm up just incase!”

“Good Nola is going to show up.”

…

5) 🔗 Link Roundup:

• Prior to last night, Shane Victorino owned the Phillies’ only postseason grand slam. Here’s what he had to say about Bryson Stott’s blast.

• A complete round up of postgame celebration tweets.

• John Middleton gave away baseballs to fans after the win.

• My full Game 2 thoughts and observations.

• It’s cheaper to fly to Atlanta, buy two tickets for Game 1, and fly back than it is to buy two tix for Game 3.

• Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler are nightmare fuel for Marlins manager Skip Schumaker.

• Elsewhere: Pete Alosno hired Scott Boras one year before entering free agency. Money time.

The newsletter today was written by: Bob Wankel (Follow on X)

Thanks for reading!