Phillies make shocking decision vs. Rays amid postseason push

The Philadelphia Phillies are trying to avoid losing their National League Wild Card spot. The scorching hot Arizona Diamondbacks are suddenly just one game back of Philadelphia in the NL Wild Card race. On Saturday, the Phillies are set to play the Tampa Bay Rays in a game they need to win. According to MLB.com, the Phillies are going to have Aaron Nola start the game after just two days of rest.

Nola, 33, has endured an overall challenging season, pitching to a 4.54 ERA across 32 outings. However, he’s found a rhythm in recent action. While he did surrender four earned runs in his start on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Brewers, Nola had allowed two runs or less in each of his previous four starts.

The Phillies are hoping that Nola can give them an opportunity to win on Saturday.

Competitive NL Wild Card picture

The Phillies currently hold the third and final NL Wild Card spot. While they are only a game ahead of Arizona, Philadelphia is also just a half-game behind the Chicago Cubs for the second NL Wild Card spot. The San Diego Padres, meanwhile, lead the Wild Card in the NL.

It is worth mentioning that the Diamondbacks hold the tiebreaker over the Phillies. If Philadelphia loses on Saturday and Arizona defeats the Padres, the Diamondbacks could clinch a Wild Card spot with a win on Sunday.

The Phillies are in an interesting spot. They can still finish as the No. 2 overall Wild Card team, or they could even end up missing the postseason altogether. These next two games are going to be pivotal for Philadelphia, and the ball club is trusting Aaron Nola on Saturday night.