The Phillies' confidence in Nola in enemy territory helped in their rotation decision – NBC Sports Philadelphia

NEW YORK – No matter how Game 3 of this chaotic Phillies-Mets NLDS goes, no matter how his start unfolds, Aaron Nola will remain virtually untouched by the noise and enormity of the moment Tuesday night at Citi Field.

The Phillies' decision to use Cristopher Sanchez in Game 2 wasn't just about Sanchez's home run. They were equally, if not more, concerned with believing in Nola to ward off the environmental hostility expected in New York.

“You probably won't see any other kind of excitement in him pitching Game 1, 2, 3 or a spring training game,” manager Rob Thomson said before the start of the divisional round.

“That’s why he’s probably a good starter for Game 3 when we go to Citi Field. I think it’s just his demeanor and his calmness that gives him an advantage.”

Nola made 14 career starts at Citi Field and pitched well almost always, with a 2.52 ERA in his last dozen. There he set a major league record with ten consecutive strikeouts in 2021. His best start of the season came at Citi Field when he pitched a four-hit shutout in mid-May.

But this is different. This is the first time the Phillies will play the Mets in the postseason, and this team is so different than the one the Phils faced in May in New York or in June in London.

“Anything I can do to contribute and give the team the best chance to win in a playoff game, home or away, was a no-brainer for me,” Nola said. “It’s a pretty cool place to play, a pretty cool place to pitch. I just always thought it was a beautiful ballpark.”

Nola has made nine starts in the last two postseasons and five have been excellent, including three of his four last October. He's been able to improve his game under the lights, but the reality at Nola is that he's locked in stretches in most starts. For him, the difference between a great outing and a bad one is often a few pitches in an inning.

“Unless your name is (Zack) Wheeler, all pitchers go through this,” Thomson said last month.

For Nola, it's often about the home run ball. He throws a lot of strikes and if a two-seamer backs up too far or a curveball hangs, two weapons that can be plus pitches can also be hammered.

He allowed 30 home runs this season after 32 last year. Nearly 35% of the runs Nola scored this season came via home runs.

However, he did a good job keeping most of the Mets hitters in the ballpark. Pete Alonso is 16 for 50 (.320) with five home runs, but all other active Mets hitters have just five in 180 at-bats.

The Alonso match will of course be a special experience. The same goes for Mark Vientos, who has already killed the Phillies in this series.

“It’s a challenge,” said Nola about meeting Alonso. “I threw a couple of balls over the plate that he didn’t really miss. I think especially in the playoffs it's a little different because everyone is a little more focused. Every pitch is a little bit higher and…” is just a little bit more important.

“I feel like I pretty much threw everything at a lot of them. They've seen all my pitches, they've seen what I have, and I've seen what they have. It's about performing the best we can against them.” They, we're throwing the right pitch at the right time and really just trying to get them out in any way we can.

If last week is any indication, Nola may not have even played a role in the decision — the Mets tended to score their runs in the eighth inning or beyond. But he has a chance to set the tone for the second phase of the NLDS, and being able to have a starting player worth $172 million available for Game 3 is a luxury for any team.

“Sometimes you know it’s the adrenaline that’s triggering you,” he said. “I feel like throwing over kind of takes me out of the zone and throws my command a little bit off balance. So I'm really trying to calm the emotions and adrenaline down a bit. Just breathe and try to really concentrate.” my next pitch.