Why Phillies are starting Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola this weekend after clinching bye

Just days after clinching a bye in the postseason, the Philadelphia Phillies are moving full speed ahead into the last series of the regular season. The Phillies will send their top two pitchers to the mound this weekend, which has raised questions among fans.

Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola are scheduled to pitch on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, when the Phillies take on the Washington Nationals in the final series of the regular season in Washington D.C. 

Why Phillies are starting Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola this weekend after clinching bye

There are likely several reasons why the team feels the need to pitch their aces down the stretch, even with the division and first-round bye in hand. The first reason is that it is important to get both Nola and Wheeler work heading into the five-day bye that will take place after the final series.

As we’ve seen in recent years with teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves, the bye can leave teams rusty and out of rhythm due to the extended absence. By getting their top two pitchers work, the Phillies will look to keep them as close to their regular schedule as possible. 

The second reason that it is important to get Nola and Wheeler on the mound is that the Phillies are going all in for the No. 1 seed in the NL. While they will have the bye and will play a majority of games at home, they have not locked up a complete home-field advantage yet. This will be very important as the Phillies were 54-27 at Citizens Bank Park this season compared to 40-38 so far on the road. In the last two postseasons, they have compiled a record of 12-4 in 16 home games, which shows that they perform at their best with the home crowd behind them. This is compared to a 7-5 record on the road, including a disappointing 2-3 record in 2023.

If the Phillies win their first-round matchup and take on the Dodgers in the NLCS, they could potentially face the team on the road if they do not pull ahead this weekend. While the Phillies played well against the Dodgers this season, anything goes in the postseason and it is important that they jump ahead now and have the home crowd behind them when it matters most.

Wheeler will enter Saturday’s matchup with a 16-7 record, an ERA of 2.56 and 213 strikeouts across 31 games. He earned his second All-Star appearance as a member of the Phillies in 2024 and will undoubtedly be in the running for the Cy Young Award alongside Chris Sale and Paul Skenes in the National League.

Nola has had a bounce-back season after a disappointing 2023 campaign in which he posted an ERA of 4.46 well above his career average. With one more start left to go, he is 13-8 with a 3.52 ERA across 194 innings in his first year of a brand new seven-year deal that will tie him to the team until 2031.

Both pitchers have been a huge part of the team’s success and will look to continue their dominance as the Phillies move forward toward their third straight postseason appearance.

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