Phillies opting not to start Zack Wheeler for Game 3
According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the Phillies are opting not to start Zack Wheeler in their winner-take-all matchup with the Braves on Thursday night, instead rolling with Aaron Nola. The Phillies are starting Aaron Nola in Game 3 of the Wild Card series vs. Atlanta tonight, per @MattGelb. pic.twitter.com/rRy4uck1zS — Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) […]
According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the Phillies are opting not to start Zack Wheeler in their winner-take-all matchup with the Braves on Thursday night, instead rolling with Aaron Nola.
The Phillies are starting Aaron Nola in Game 3 of the Wild Card series vs. Atlanta tonight, per @MattGelb. pic.twitter.com/rRy4uck1zS
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) October 1, 2026
On the surface, this is a bit of a head-scratching decision. Wheeler has been the head of the Phillies staff for a long time, and he’s having another incredible season, posting a 14-5 record with an even 3.00 ERA.
Nola’s 2026 campaign, on the other hand, has been a roller-coaster ride. He began the year miserably, taking a 6.04 ERA into July. But over his next 14 starts, he posted a 2.92 ERA, including a couple of impressive outings against the Braves, allowing just three earned runs over 13.1 innings. However, over the final two starts of the regular season, he surrendered seven earned runs over seven innings.
So what you’re going to get out of Nola is anybody’s best guess. The Phillies are obviously confident he can handle a Braves lineup he’s had a lot of success against over his career, particularly in the postseason, where he’s allowed just two earned runs over 11.2 innings. However, that was a much more consistent version of Nola back in 2022 and 2023 than the one that exists now, which could present an opportunity for Atlanta to jump on Philadelphia early.
In a winner-take-all environment, I would imagine just about every pitcher who toes the rubber will be on a tight leash. One would expect we’ll see Zack Wheeler in this game eventually, especially with Don Mattingly showing he has very little confidence in any of his relief pitchers outside of Jhoan Duran.
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Photo: IMAGO / Newscom World
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