Nola brothers to make MLB history in Game 2 of NLCS

Aaron Nola and Austin Nola are about to make postseason history.

The two brothers — Aaron, a pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, and Austin, the primary catcher for the San Diego Padres — will face off against each other in Game 2 of the NLCS, where Aaron is scheduled to be the starter. It’ll be the first time two siblings have ever faced each other as pitcher and batter in MLB postseason history.

The two have faced each other six times in the regular season, with Austin managing a hit, a walk and two strikeouts. That hit was a big one, however, with Austin slapping a go-ahead RBI single that proved the difference in a 1-0 Padres win over the Phillies in June.

Aaron Nola’s 11-13 record was misleading this season — his 3.25 ERA helped anchor the Phillies’ rotation, and he’s 2-0 with 12.2 scoreless innings, 12 strikeouts and three walks in the 2022 postseason. Austin has been a solid backstop for the Padres, hitting .251 with four home runs and 40 RBIs.

Although the Nolas will make history in Wednesday night’s matchup, they’re not the first pair of brothers to be on opposing sides of a postseason series. According to ESPN Stats & Information, siblings have played one another eight times before: