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Phillies turn to pending free agent Aaron Nola to pitch them past Arizona and into World Series

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Phillies turn to pending free agent Aaron Nola to pitch them past Arizona and into World Series


PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Aaron Nola takes the ball in Game 6 of the NL Championship Series with a couple of familiar questions swirling around him.

Can he pitch the Phillies one win closer to a World Series title?

If not, might this be his last start in a Philadelphia uniform?

The answer to the first query is an easy one — a resounding yes. Nola is 3-0 in the postseason — including seven shutout innings in the NL wild-card clincher against Miami — with a 0.96 ERA. He has allowed two runs in 18 2/3 innings, struck out 19 and walked two.

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With a second straight trip to the World Series at stake, Nola gets the call Monday night against Arizona in the NLCS.

Now, as for his last start with the Phillies…

If he wins Monday, he’s sure to pitch again. But Nola knows each postseason outing has the potential of serving as his last one with the Phillies as he nears the end of his five-year contract.

The 30-year-old Nola is eligible for free agency after the World Series because his agent and the front office broke off negotiations in spring training. Nola, the longest-tenured player on these Phillies, wanted to stay focused this season on doing his part to win Philadelphia’s first World Series crown since 2008.

With each shutdown inning in the postseason, Nola has significantly added value to his next contract. He’s also made it clear, he doesn’t want to go far to find a new team. In fact, he kind of likes the one he’s played for in all nine major league seasons.

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Nola wants to stay in Philly.

“I really do. I love it here,” he said. “Obviously, it’s the only place I’ve been. I came up through some special times in the rebuilding era. To be on a team like I am now, it’s really cool and special to see and to be a part of all the success and failures to get to where we are now.”

Throw Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani out of the picture and the market for free-agent pitchers is thin. Especially one with a resume like Nola’s — five seasons of 200-plus strikeouts, five seasons of 30-plus starts, and a 90-71 career record.

Nola endured three straight 90-loss seasons with the Phillies before the arrivals of Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Kyle Schwarber and fellow ace Zack Wheeler turned the Phillies into contenders.

He wants to see it through with a World Series parade.

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“Each year better players came through, better guys coming through, forming new relationships, so obviously I love that part about it,” Nola said.

The Phillies’ clubhouse has become a family environment, for sure. Nick Castellanos, Harper and Wheeler have made their kids as much a part of the Phillies as the “Daycare” kids — the nickname given to young players like Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott and Brandon Marsh.

“I see so many kids running around the clubhouse and guys and their sons and daughters,” he said. “It’s pretty cool to see.”

He and his wife, Hunter Jayde, are about to join the parenting club. Nola’s wife posted a pregnancy announcement on her Instagram page hours after the dad-to-be tossed seven shutout innings against the Marlins to earn, ahem, a berth in the NL Division Series.

Not a bad night.

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But will the future baby Nola wear a Phillies onesie?

The next step, at least toward a World Series, is knocking off the Diamondbacks. Arizona looked dazed and defeated after it dropped the first two NLCS games against Philadelphia’s homer-heavy lineup. But the Diamondbacks had the gumption to rally late against Philadelphia’s bullpen — an era of kinder, gentler Phillies fans are having their patience tested by Craig Kimbrel — and evened the best-of-seven series at Chase Field.

Schwarber, Harper and Realmuto all homered and the Phillies beat the Diamondbacks 6-1 in Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead. Arizona sends Merrill Kelly (1-1, 3.00 ERA) to the mound in Game 6.

“I think a lot of people didn’t expect us to be here, so I think the fact that we can all kind of come together in that clubhouse and kind of cherish that and kind of use that to our advantage has been big,” Kelly said.

Kelly found himself in a minor fuss ahead of his Game 2 start when he said he doubted Phillies fans could possibly be louder than the ones heard rooting for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

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Three solo homers allowed, one loss and 45,000 fans roasting him with “Merr-ill! Merr-ill!” chants later, Kelly walked back his words and said he’s now more comfortable in the uncomfortable atmosphere ahead.

“I know the dimensions, know the vantage point from the pitcher’s mound, that type of thing,” he said. “I think I can take just the whole in-game experience and it won’t be fresh.”

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb





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Diverted: A look at how some doctors and nurses in Arizona misuse drugs

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Diverted: A look at how some doctors and nurses in Arizona misuse drugs


Arizona’s Family Investigates found providers high on the job, with two prescribing hundreds of opioids. Shockingly, most are still working in healthcare. The investigation uncovered cases of drug diversion, substance abuse among medical professionals, and the alarming lack of disciplinary action. Despite their misconduct, many of these providers continue to practice, raising serious concerns about patient safety and the integrity of the healthcare system.



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Winter storm moving toward Arizona

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Winter storm moving toward Arizona


PHOENIX (AZFamily) — A major weather pattern change will bring cooler temperatures along with rain and snow chances to much of Arizona over the next couple of days.

After two days in the 70s, the Valley will see a drop to highs in the mid-60s today. The Phoenix area will stay dry, but a few snow showers are possible in the higher elevations today as a weak storm rolls through our area. Overall, winds should be lighter than what most parts of the state saw on Tuesday.

A more potent winter storm arrives in the state tomorrow, significantly impacting our region on Friday. The low-pressure system will bring a chance of snow showers to the high country throughout the day Thursday, with off-and-on rain and snow in mountain communities as snow levels fluctuate throughout the day.

Changing snow levels makes forecasting amounts challenging to do. Still, in general, areas above 7,000 feet should see 3 to 7 inches of snow between Thursday and Friday, with 8 to 15 inches possibly above 8,000 feet.

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The bulk of the rain with this system will move in Thursday night and Friday in the Valley. Look for a 30 percent chance of rain Thursday evening and a 70 percent chance of showers Friday, especially during the morning hours.

Up to a quarter inch of rain is possible in the Phoenix metro area, with up to a half inch possible in foothill areas northeast of town. Friday will be a First Alert weather day across Arizona.

Thursday through Saturday, look for highs in the low 70s in the Valley. High pressure brings the return of dry conditions this holiday weekend. Temperatures are also likely to warm to the mid-70s on Sunday and to the upper 70s on Presidents Day.

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Women’s Hoops Preview: No. 20 Oklahoma State Hosts Arizona

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Women’s Hoops Preview: No. 20 Oklahoma State Hosts Arizona


The Cowgirls and Wildcats are set to meet on the hardwood Wednesday for the first time this century.

Oklahoma State hosts Arizona, as the Cowgirls look to further engrain themselves in the Big 12 title race. Here’s a preview of the game.

Viewing Info

Time: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday
Location: Gallagher-Iba Arena
Watch: ESPN+

Team Stats

Oklahoma State Arizona
Record 19-4 15-10
NET 28 59
Points Per Game 78.9 68.1
Opponent Points Per Game 58.3 61.5
Field-Goal Percentage 47% 44%
Opponent Field-Goal Percentage 35% 38%
3-Point Percentage 36% 32%
Free-Throw Percentage 69% 70%
Rebounds Per Game 41.5 35

Last Game Starters

Oklahoma State Class Height PPG RPG APG
Alexia Smith Senior 5-8 7 4.7 2.2
Anna Gret Asi Senior 5-8 11.9 2 2.9
Micah Gray Junior 5-8 13.8 2.8 1.6
Stailee Heard Sophomore 5-11 16.7 8.1 2.3
Tenin Magassa Senior 6-6 7.8 5.1 1
Arizona Class Height PPG RPG APG
Jada Williams Sophomore 5-8 13 3.7 3
Mailien Rolf Freshman 5-10 3.7 3.2 1.2
Skylar Jones Sophomore 6-0 9.5 2.8 1.8
Isis Beh R-Senior 6-3 6.7 3.8 1.7
Breya Cunningham Sophomore 6-4 11.6 7.2 0.8

Series History (OSU Leads 2-0)

Season Winner Score Location
1994-95 Oklahoma State 64-40 Tucson, Arizona
1981-82 Oklahoma State 75-61

Big 12 Standings

Team Big 12 Record Overall Record
Kansas State 10-2 22-3
TCU 10-2 22-3
Baylor 10-2 20-5
Oklahoma State 9-3 19-4
West Virginia 9-3 19-4
Utah 9-3 18-5
Iowa State 8-5 17-9
Colorado 7-5 16-7
Arizona 6-6 15-10
Cincinnati 6-6 14-8
Kansas 4-9 14-10
BYU 3-9 12-11
Texas Tech 3-10 14-12
Arizona State 2-10 8-16
UCF 1-11 8-14
Houston 1-12 5-19



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