It feels right that the Phillie with the most connections to the franchise’s golden era ended the 11-year postseason drought.
Aaron Nola was teammates with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. Carlos Ruiz caught a couple of his starts in 2016. He was in the rotation when Cole Hamels threw a no-hitter and was traded a few days later. On that day, Hamels was asked to give a speech in the clubhouse. He said, “So, who is pitching tomorrow?” The team pointed at a 22-year-old babyfaced Nola with a shy smirk on his face. Hamels jeered. Nola would earn his first career win the next day.