Aaron Nola's strong outing helps Phillies eliminate Cardinals, advance to NLDS
The Philadelphia Phillies hadn't made it to the postseason in 11 years. Now, they're headed to the National League Division Series.
Aaron Nola dazzled on the mound in Game 2 on Saturday night, helping the Phillies shut out the Cardinals 2-0 and sweep the wild-card series.
Nola followed Zack Wheeler's lead in Game 1 with an outstanding effort on the hill in Game 2. The 22-year-old, pitching in his first career playoff game, threw 6.2 scoreless innings, scattering four hits and striking out six.
Bryce Harper opened the scoring on Saturday night, smashing a first-pitch curveball from Mikolas for a home run to give the Phillies an early 1-0 lead after two innings. The Phillies would add on in the fifth inning when Kyle Schwarber drove in Alec Bohm on a sacrifice fly.
Two runs were all the Phillies would need to punch their ticket to the NLDS.
The Phillies bullpen held the Cardinals off the scoreboard the rest of the way. Zach Eflin pitched the ninth inning for the second-straight day and ran into a bit of trouble with two outs. Though, with runners on first and third, Eflin got Tommy Edman to pop out to Edmundo Sosa in foul territory, sealing the victory for the Fightin' Phils.
For the Cardinals, it's a disappointing end to the 2022 campaign. Saturday night's loss also marks what many believe to be the final MLB games for future Hall of Famers Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina.
In the division series, the Phillies will match up against NL East rival and defending World Series champions, the Atlanta Braves.
The Braves will host the Phillies for Game 1 of the NLDS on Tuesday, time still to be determined.
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