The Phillies’ final two games of the regular season might as well be Games 6 and 7 of the World Series. At least, that’s the level of urgency interim manager Don Mattingly is preparing for. The Phillies have to reach October before they can think about playing for a championship, but with two games remaining and their magic number still at two, they’re taking an all-hands-on-deck approach. And that starts with Aaron Nola. On Saturday, under rainy Philadelphia skies, the Phillies’ longest-tenured player will take the ball against the Tampa Bay Rays on just two days’ rest. Yes, two days. How is that possible? For one, Nola has a manager who has watched him pitch for more than a decade and understands his routine. But more importantly, the right-hander has spent years preparing his body for the kind of workload that makes a situation like Game 161 possible. “If anybody’s built for this, it’s probably Nola,” Mattingly said Saturday. “He is a guy who is more old school than anybody.” The Phillies didn’t arrive at the decision overnight. Nola threw six innings Wednesday against Milwaukee, then skipped his usual bullpen session Friday as the club considered its options. His between-starts routine generally includes 40 to 50 pitches off the mound, considerably more than most starters throw. That workload is part of the reason Mattingly believes Nola can handle Saturday’s assignment, even without the customary rest between starts. “We were talking about Nola for a couple days. He skipped his ‘pen yesterday,” Mattingly said. “We expect him to really be pretty good. Not necessarily a full start or anything like that, but he is a guy that throws 40 to 50 pitches in his bullpens.” There isn’t a firm pitch count, either. The Phillies will see how Nola responds, how efficiently he works and how the game unfolds before deciding when to turn to the bullpen. They haven’t committed to a particular pitcher to follow him. “I don’t know if we have a certain piggyback tonight,” Mattingly said. “It could be a combination.” That leaves José Urquidy, who provided length last week in New York, among the potential options. With the season on the line, however, Philadelphia could be forced to use several arms to cover the remaining innings. Mattingly and pitching coach Caleb Cotham had been discussing the possibilities with both Nola and Zack Wheeler earlier in the week. They briefly considered having Wheeler pitch Saturday on short rest instead, but ultimately decided against it. “We actually talked about it briefly,” Mattingly said. “Didn’t really feel like that was the best thing.” With Wheeler lined up for Sunday, the Phillies have a fallback if they enter the final day of the regular season still needing a victory. Of course, they’d prefer not to use him. Getting the job done Saturday would give Philadelphia considerably more flexibility to align its rotation for a potential Wild Card Series beginning Tuesday. And Nola, despite his short rest, provides reason to believe that’s possible. His previous start against Milwaukee wasn’t his sharpest. He allowed four earned runs in six innings, ending a stretch of 10 consecutive starts in which he had surrendered three runs or fewer. Before that outing, he had posted a 2.10 ERA during that 10-start span.  But considering where his season began, the turnaround has been substantial. Nola entered the year looking sharp during spring training, but struggled to carry that form into the regular season. After an injury-plagued 2025, the early results raised questions about whether he could regain the consistency that made him one of the Phillies’ most dependable starters for years. An increased reliance on his changeup, improved command and a more effective overall pitch mix have helped him get there. He carries a 3.12 ERA over his last 15 starts. Saturday will mark his 33rd start of the season, another substantial workload for a pitcher in his 12th major league campaign. And there’s something familiar about the Phillies turning to Nola in a situation like this. The last time Philadelphia won the National League pennant, in 2022, it also needed until October to secure a postseason berth. That club underwent a managerial change, relied on contributions from young players and endured its share of pitching uncertainty before finding its way into the postseason. It was Nola who took the mound on Oct. 3 in Houston, carrying a perfect game into the seventh inning as the Phillies beat the Astros to secure their first postseason appearance since 2011.  He made 32 starts that season, finishing with a 3.25 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP.  Four years later, the Phillies have endured another turbulent season, climbing out of a 9-19 start and adjusting to another managerial change. Their pitching staff has been shuffled repeatedly, and the bullpen remains a concern. Nola has experienced his own ups and downs, but he’s back in a position where the club is asking him to help extend its season. He just has considerably less rest this time. And the Phillies might have another unexpected arm available if they’re forced to play for their postseason lives Sunday. Jesús Luzardo, who hasn’t pitched since Sept. 7 because of left shoulder inflammation, is eligible to come off the injured list for the regular-season finale. The Phillies had discussed having the left-hander face hitters Saturday after he came out of Thursday’s 30-pitch bullpen session feeling good. Instead, they skipped that step and will reevaluate him Sunday. Everything remains possible, according to Mattingly. That includes using Luzardo without first having him face live hitters, although the decision would depend heavily on the medical staff, the club’s pitching personnel and how the left-hander feels. “I would not want to be the guy making that decision just by what I see or what I want,” Mattingly said. “It’s more about what everybody else is saying and what they think he’s capable of.” Jonathan Bowlan could provide another option. The reliever threw a bullpen session Friday as he continues working back from right groin tightness, and Mattingly said he appeared to come out of it well. But none of those possibilities changes the immediate assignment. Nola has to give the Phillies a chance Saturday. The offense, which was shut out Friday and has struggled to produce with runners in scoring position, has to take advantage of it. Mattingly doesn’t believe the occasion requires a dramatically different approach. “I’ve always felt like if you put pressure on yourself all the time to perform and hold yourself to a standard, then this game is really no different than every other week,” he said. He acknowledged there will be additional nerves, comparing the circumstances to the later games of a World Series. But the fundamentals of the game don’t change simply because the season is on the line. The Phillies still have to execute their game plan, find pitches to hit and make plays defensively. And they have to do it now. If they can’t, Wheeler could find himself taking the ball Sunday with the season hanging in the balance. Luzardo could potentially be available behind him, and Mattingly might have to use every healthy arm at his disposal. It wouldn’t be the rotation or bullpen arrangement the Phillies envisioned when they began the year. But they’ll worry about putting together a postseason pitching staff once they’ve secured a reason to do so. First, they’ll hand the ball to Nola on two days’ rest. ...read more read less