PHILADELPHIA — There he was, now the pitcher with more wins inside this ballpark than any other, and he stood in foul territory making faces at his 6-month-old daughter. Aaron Nola’s white pinstriped pants were no longer white because they were soaked in beer. He stashed an unopened Budweiser in his back pocket. “WE OWN THE EAST,” his shirt exclaimed, and it was something.
“Man,” Nola said, “it’s been a long time coming.”
He came to Citizens Bank Park as a fresh-faced kid who was supposed to be a bright spot in the darkest years. The Phillies finished 27 games back in 2015, Nola’s rookie year. Two years later, they were 31 games back. The Atlanta Braves won six straight National League East titles from 2018-23; the Phillies were happy to slip into the postseason while finishing 14 games back in the last two seasons.
These Phillies have bigger goals. Nola has pitched on bigger stages; he started a World Series game before he won a division title. But a division title is a reflection of consistent work over six months. It is a reward for the grind. No one epitomizes it more than Nola. He is not perfect. He is often maddening.
But he is always there. He is consistent. He works. And since 2022, Nola has started seven clinching games — either to reach the postseason or win a series. He has a 1.62 ERA in 44 1/3 innings with 46 strikeouts and seven walks in those seven starts. His victory Monday night — two runs in six innings — nudged him past Cole Hamels for most regular-season wins (57) in Citizens Bank Park history.
Nola had to be the one to start the game that sealed the Phillies’ first division title in 13 years.
Dusty Wathan, the Phillies’ long-time third-base coach, shook his head from a corner of the clubhouse as the Phillies partied, yet again, Monday night. The music sounded the same. Most of the players are the same. Wathan has perspective. He managed Nola in Double A a decade ago. They have seen horrendous things here. Unimaginable things.
Now, Nola is the constant. He is in the first year of a $172 million deal that will, by the end, likely make him one of the most decorated Phillies pitchers in this franchise’s history.
He had to be the one on the mound — again.
“He is the utmost perfect guy to clinch a division because of the consistency and what it takes for 162 games,” Wathan said after the Phillies’ 6-2 win over the Chicago Cubs. “There’s no up and down. He’s the same guy every day. He comes out every five days and does his work. And it’s so consistent. That’s a really hard thing to do. It’s amazing.”
The clubhouse scene, more or less, felt familiar. Alec Bohm took a puff from a cigar and coughed. Garrett Stubbs shoved beers in his overalls. Ranger Suárez pranced around the room. A shirtless Bryce Harper embraced a beer shower. “Dancing on My Own” played on the sound system, along with other songs that have become postgame staples in the Phillies clubhouse.
Manager Rob Thomson yielded the floor to John Middleton, the team’s CEO and most influential ownership partner. “I want my f—ing trophy back!” Middleton yelled. The players engulfed the two men in champagne.
The Phillies had accomplished a major goal by winning this division.
“People talk about windows and things like that, but with John at the helm, there’s no windows,” Harper said. “This a team that’s going to play for a long time and be competitive for a long time. Obviously, we have a really good team right now. This is our window with this team right now. We’re going to do everything we can to take this thing down to the end and play meaningful games into October and November.”
Without a doubt, the best moment in the Phillies’ division celebration: Alec Bohm puffing — and coughing — his cigar: pic.twitter.com/xRPCFjD0pR
— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) September 24, 2024
Nola will be an integral part if they are to reach the ultimate goal. He has a 3.52 ERA in 194 1/3 innings this season. He’s allowed 29 homers. He is not an ace, but he is a steady top-of-the-rotation presence because he is always there. This is why the Phillies paid him.
J.T. Realmuto could tell in the bullpen Monday night. He’s said this before. Nola has an extra focus to his work before a bigger game.
“He doesn’t miss, at least in the bullpen,” Realmuto said. “He’s usually like that. But in games like this and our postseason games, there’s that extra oomph behind everything. It just seems like there’s a little more focus and a little more intent. He doesn’t shy away from the moment.”
Realmuto, who had never won a division title, was happy for Nola. He embodies what it is to be consistent. Nola will have one more start and, even though the Phillies will be in a position to taper back, Nola wants to hit 200 innings again. It’s a source of pride.
“He loves to compete,” Realmuto said. “He does everything he can off the field to ensure that he’s going to be able to pitch for us every five days for an entire season — as much or more than any pitcher I’ve ever seen. People don’t know how much work he does every single day to prepare for the start every fifth day.”
Nola came to Philadelphia as an unassuming righty from the Bayou, and he has made this a home. He loves the Italian restaurants in South Philly. He met his wife here. They are raising their baby girl here. One day, Nola’s bust will be on the wall commemorating the greatest players in this franchise’s history.
He is not perfect. None of these Phillies are. They should have won the division over the weekend in New York. Instead, Nola was on the mound at Citizens Bank Park to do it. That felt right.
“It’s really cool,” Nola said. “Really cool. I’ve always wanted to win the division. When I first got up here in the big leagues, I felt like we were a ways away from doing that. But we made a lot of jumps over the years. We went through a lot of struggles.”
Nola smiled.
“To be honest,” he said, “it was really nice to do it in front of our own fan base.”
(Top photo of Matt Slocum / Associated Press)
