The Philadelphia Phillies are absolutely on fire, man, with seven straight wins heading into Saturday, August 22! There’s serious optimism buzzing around this team, and for good reason. But to truly make that deep postseason push and maybe, just maybe, steal the NL East title from those Atlanta Braves, they need their No. 4 and No. 5 starters, Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter, to step up big time down the stretch.
Nola’s Turnaround Is Must-Watch TV
Jim Bowden from The Athletic straight up called these guys the Phillies’ “X-Factors.” If Nola and Painter get locked in, this rotation could be unbeatable. Nola, especially, has been on a total redemption tour. Early in the season, it was rough, but he just threw seven strong innings in a huge win against the Miami Marlins, showing everyone he’s back. His ERA is down to 5.12, a wild turnaround from his start. Since July 1st, he’s rocking a fantastic 3.63 ERA over 52 innings. Even better, his last five starts? He’s pitched 28.2 innings with a sick 34 strikeouts and a tiny 2.51 ERA. That’s a well-timed renaissance, dude. He is absolutely dealing when they need him most.
Painter’s Roller Coaster Is Giving Everyone Whiskers
Now, Andrew Painter? He’s been more of a nail-biter, a real roller coaster for fans. His 6.43 ERA on the season is just bad; no sugarcoating that number. But there’s hope! After a month-plus stint in the minors, he’s come back solid. In his first three starts post-minors, he threw 15.1 innings with a decent 2.93 ERA. But then, yikes, he coughed up four runs in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins in his most recent outing. To his credit, he then allowed just one run across his next four innings, keeping the Phillies in the game for an eventual come-from-behind win. Overall, in his four starts since rejoining the big league club, the Phillies are 2-2, and he’s posted a 4.43 ERA with 18 strikeouts across 20.1 innings. The flashes are there, but consistency? Man, that’s the real challenge.
It All Comes Down to the Pitching
Bowden absolutely laid it out: “If the Phillies are going to hold on to win a wild-card berth, they’re going to have to win more games started by Nola and Painter.” And when you look at the numbers, you totally get why. The Phillies are just 3-7 in Nola’s last 10 starts and a brutal 3-13 in Painter’s last 16 starts. Bowden clearly states that if they can just win half the games that duo starts, there is no doubt the Phillies can punch their ticket to the playoffs. Guys like Kyle Schwarber, Jesus Luzardo, and Bryson Stott are super important, sure, but Nola and Painter’s production? That’s what really dictates how far this squad goes in October, for a deep postseason run, or even if they make it there at all. If they both pitch well, they might even catch the Braves for that NL East title this season. It’s all on them now to deliver.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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