With Aaron Nola returning, do the Phillies have enough pitching to win the World Series?

That was a poll question posed recently to followers of the Times News Lehighton Facebook page.

Apparently, most of you think they do: 55% like the current Phillies staff — but the margin was close, with 45% opposed.

The poll was taken before we found out Zach Wheeler would miss the rest of the season.

AARON’S

ANTICS

Nola entered the game in Washington with a 1-7 record and a 6.92 ERA. In his previous start — his first since returning from injury — he couldn’t get out of the third inning, allowing six runs and seven hits on 53 pitches. He struck out four and walked one.

With Wheeler down, Nola could slide to the front of the rotation ahead of Cristopher Sanchez. The question is whether he can regain the workhorse form that has defined his career.

Last August, Nola went 1-2 with two no-decisions but posted a 2.70 ERA. In the losses, he allowed four earned runs in an 11-5 defeat and three in an 11-6 loss.

In September, he was 2-2 with two no-decisions and a 4.90 ERA. He surrendered four earned in a 12-7 loss and six in a 12-8 loss.

His strikeout-to-walk ratio was 31-9 in August and 44-9 in September.

As for Septembers overall, Nola’s career line by year: career 20-17, 3.86; 2018, 3.72; 2019, 6.51; 2020, 3.57; 2021, 6.19; 2022, 2.93; 2024, 4.91.

In the postseason, Nola is 5-4 with a 4.02 ERA in 10 starts, with 58 strikeouts and 11 walks. He went 3-1 with a 2.35 ERA during the 2023 run, but was 0-1 with a 7.20 ERA in a five-inning start last season.

It will be an interesting month ahead for the right-hander. Nola did much better over the weekend against the Nationals.

FYI: Nola’s brother, Austin, has been in the majors since 2019 as a catcher, first baseman and second baseman. He was granted free agency Aug. 15 after appearing in 14 games with the Rockies and hitting .184. The older Nola — 35, compared to Aaron’s 32 — has a career .247 average with previous stops in Seattle and San Diego.

PAINT IT BLACK

With Wheeler down, a common reaction was to call up Andrew Painter from the IronPigs. Initially, Painter was projected to arrive in July, but inconsistencies kept him in Allentown.

The 22-year-old picked up his first win in about two months (June 15) on Aug. 16 in a five-inning stint. Overall, he is 4-7 with a 5.15 ERA, with 94 strikeouts and 35 walks.

Whether he’s a September call-up remains to be seen.

THE OTHER ALTERNATIVES

Beyond Nola, the Phillies do have Sanchez (11-4, 2.46), Ranger Suarez (9-6, 3.25), Jesús Luzardo (12-6) and Taijuan Walker (4-6, 3.34).

Suarez began the season 4-0 with a 2.97 ERA in May, but is 5-6 with a 3.25 ERA since June. Last September, he struggled, going 1-2 with a 6.10 ERA in five starts. For his career, he is 8-5 with a 3.88 ERA in September.

Walker has turned a corner, posting a 2-0, 2.55 line in eight appearances since June 25. Luzardo has been effective in August, going 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA with 30 strikeouts and four walks.

Joe Ross, who hasn’t been as effective as anticipated, is another possibility with his 87 career starts.

Side note: Reliever José Alvarado was activated Aug. 19 from his suspension, and the Phillies’ bullpen is loaded. If the starters can average six innings down the stretch, the Phillies should be fine. They’ll also get a big lift if the offense continues its assault. Alvarado, however, cannot pitch in the postseason.

READERS WRITE

Phils can get there

The Phillies can get to the World Series if their arms are not dead! They also need a solid bullpen, and the team needs to hit. It is really amazing to see the entire team go cold at the same time.

— Melissa Hammer Hager, Lehighton

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

It’s becoming more apparent that the Phillies’ two remaining series with the Mets will be monumental.

The Phillies will travel to Citi Field for a three-game set Aug. 25-27 — their first meeting — and those could be must-watch games, especially if there is a three- to five-game gap between the teams.

Their second meeting figures to be compelling as well: a four-game set at Citizens Bank Park from Sept. 8-11.

The real drama could surround those series. Philadelphia has a three-game set in Milwaukee Sept. 1-3, then takes its final West Coast swing in Los Angeles (Sept. 15-17) and Arizona (Sept. 19-21).

The Mets, meanwhile, have a crucial six-game road trip to Detroit (Sept. 1-3) and Cincinnati (Sept. 5-7) — especially the Reds, who are in the wild-card hunt.

The Phillies end the season hosting the Marlins and Twins, while the Mets finish at the Cubs and Marlins.

Who has the edge here?

METS’ MESS

After a 9-3 loss to Washington, the Mets are 21-34 since June 13. They also have 20 blown saves since June 1.

Since June 13, their starters have averaged 4.77 innings per start and have a 5.12 ERA with a 1.44 WHIP.

Kodai Senga (7-3) was 6-3 through May; his last win was June 13. Sean Manaea’s lone win since then came July 23, and Clay Holmes can’t get past the fifth inning.

David Peterson (8-5) has been their lone steadying force, but it’s increasingly clear the Mets should have added another starting pitcher at the trade deadline.

RESHUFFLING THE DECK

This week, baseball boss Rob Manfred floated a future regional realignment — likely 2028 at the earliest — with expansion to Nashville and Portland.

A potential Northeast division could include the Phillies, Mets, Yankees and Red Sox. Think about it.

More on this in a future column.

TIME PASSAGES

Recently, I watched a YouTube video of the Aug. 12, 1984, brawl between the Padres and Braves at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. It was a true classic — one of baseball’s worst. The game also featured a host of memorable names.

Here’s the short version:

In the bottom of the second, Padres starter Ed Whitson threw at Pascual Perez, who was attempting to bunt. Perez charged with his bat, but order was quickly restored.

Two innings later, Whitson threw inside three times to Perez, and he and manager Dick Williams were ejected. Reliever Greg Booker then threw inside to Perez, and he and acting manager Ozzie Virgil Sr. were ejected.

In the eighth, Padres reliever Craig Lefferts threw at Perez; he and acting manager Jack Krol were tossed. Both benches cleared, and everyone was ready to rumble.

Fisticuffs were exchanged for about 10 minutes before San Diego’s Champ Summers darted across the field toward Perez. Atlanta’s Bob Horner — out with a wrist injury — and Rick Camp tackled Summers at the dugout. Five fans either threw objects at Padres players or ran onto the field; all were arrested.

In the ninth, another donnybrook broke out when Braves reliever Donnie Moore hit Graig Nettles. During the fracas, the Padres’ Kurt Bevacqua stood atop the dugout with a bat after fans began pelting players.

Overall, six Braves and Padres — including ex-Phillie and Brave Steve Bedrosian and Braves manager Joe Torre — received fines and three-game suspensions. Williams got 10 days. Eleven players were fined.

Ex-Phil Gene Garber closed out the Braves’ 5-3 win. Along with Bedrosian and Garber, ex-Phils Milt Thompson and Dale Murphy were on that roster. Torre’s club included ex-Mets Mike Jorgensen and Pete Falcone, ex-Yankee Chris Chambliss at first, and future Yankees GM Bob Watson on the bench. Ex-Phils Ron Roenicke and Sid Monge were on the Padres’ bench.

Atlanta finished 80-82, second behind San Diego, which went 92-70 and lost the World Series to the Tigers.

If you have about 22 minutes (the video is 21:25), it’s worth a watch.

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