NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: PHILLIES VS PADRES

October 18, 2022

Aaron Nola

Petco Park

Philadelphia Phillies

Pregame 1 Press Conference

Q. Aaron, Austin was in here before, and he said one of the things he wanted growing up with you, he wanted to make sure you had that competitive edge. What did he do as an older brother to you to make sure you had that edge?

AARON NOLA: Never let me win at anything. I think that's the answer to that. I didn't win in many things, no matter what we did or what we played, what sport it was. I didn't win. It took me a while. Took me a while. So I think that gave me that competitive edge.

Growing up I always wanted to be as good as him, and I went to almost every one of his baseball games, basketball games, football games. When he went to high school, I also watched almost every one of those, and then in college at LSU before we played with each other. I went to almost every one of his home games, too.

I got to see how he went about his business and played the game and learned a lot from him.

Q. I saw your Instagram post. I guess you were able to catch up with him here in San Diego. When you get together with him, especially for the stakes that are here, are you talking about the series at all? Any trash talking? Are you just talking about life and family and brothers?

AARON NOLA: Yeah, not talking about the series much. Just pretty much the only thing we talked about that involved the series was this might be one of the last times, because you never know. You never know if this will happen ever happen, us playing against each other at this stage of the NLCS and that we're blessed to be in this position against each other and on the same field. It's pretty cool.

I'm just fortunate, and I know all my teammates are fortunate to be in this position, as well. It's a fun time, and we're just enjoying it.

Q. You mentioned going to your brother's games growing up, and I'm curious what you learned from watching him compete. Was there something that stuck out to you in particular?

AARON NOLA: Yeah, it's pretty much the same guy if you watch him on the field now as he used to be. No matter what the stage was, if he didn't get a hit, if he made an error, he never would hang his head, no matter if he was failing or succeeding. It really stuck out to me.

I try to do that still today, and I know he does. He played the game the right way, and he's always played the game the right way.

Q. Your parents are kind of in a tough position; do you have to lobby them to root for you harder than they do for Austin? Is there any sibling rivalry there?

AARON NOLA: For my parents? It's probably something you'd have to ask them. I know my dad wears two jerseys usually, and I think he usually wears the Phillies jersey over the Padres jersey when I pitch, and then vice versa when I don't pitch.

Austin plays pretty much every day, so I think he wears the Padres jersey probably a little bit more.

Q. Austin talked about your relationship, and it sounded like he's your biggest fan. What is your view of watching him?

AARON NOLA: The same. I watched him -- I guess I watched him so many years, he has such a good story of how he's got to this position that he's in right now. He played shortstop his whole life and moved around the infield and ended up -- years ago ended up being a catcher, had never caught before, and got called up with the Mariners, played first base, never played first base before.

He got traded over here to San Diego and caught in 2020. Now he's catching every day pretty much.

The resiliency he's had and him sticking with what he does best and what he knows best and being in the Minor Leagues for seven, seven and a half years says a lot about him, says a lot about his journey.

He's always been a hard worker, and this is where he belongs. He belongs here, and you see what he's doing behind the plate and working a pitching staff, working a good pitching staff.

I'm just glad he's healthy all year. He's had some injuries since he made that transition to catching. Really proud of him.

Q. You see him in the batter's box tomorrow. What's your mindset?

AARON NOLA: Try to get him out. I mean, we've done this a few times now, and it's pretty cool.

Obviously not as nerve-racking as the first time we faced off against each other. But at the end of the day I'm trying to get him out, and at the end of the day he's trying to get on versus me. Anything I can do to get those three outs and get back in the dugout and help my team out.

Q. He talked about the goal, that the goal is to win. Obviously that, I would assume, is your same goal regardless of who you're facing; would that be accurate?

AARON NOLA: For sure, very accurate. Brother versus brother, it's still the game. We have to focus on winning the game. It's our goal for our team. That's the goal for their team, as well.

All comes down to competing against each other and trying to win a baseball game and move forward.

Q. How did you find out that Austin had finally made the majors, and what was that moment like knowing everything he had been through?

AARON NOLA: I actually got a call from my mom in 2019, I think. I had just come out of the game against Atlanta, in Atlanta, and she had shot me a text that said Austin got called up. It brought tears to my eyes. Just a cool moment, and watched his debut over there. I believe it was in Oakland.

Just knowing how hard he worked to get to that position, it was really special for our family and for everybody who's worked with him and who's known him. It was a cool moment.

Q. You got to the majors so fast. What he went through, did that inspire you, or did you learn something from that?

AARON NOLA: It did. I was fortunate not to be in the Minor Leagues as long as he was, but he stuck with it, and every offseason when we were with each other, he would always say: I'm going to make it this year. I'm going to keep pushing until I make it.

He made it a little bit older than some guys do, but he's here, and he's in the NLCS at a big stage, and it's pretty cool.

Q. I know he's caught you a bit in the offseasons, including I guess as recently as February this year when you came out with him and you faced him. He probably has some intel on you and you probably have some on him. How much do you thread the needle between code between brothers who know each other so well and maybe giving some information to some teammates about, hey, here's how you get him out, and I'm sure vice versa on his side?

AARON NOLA: I mean, it comes down to executing, executing what I need to when I throw to him, and to their whole team. That's what I try to focus on and try to throw all my pitches for strikes and quality strikes and get that first pitch in there.

I'm sure he's doing exactly what you said, giving intel to hitters on their team, and vice versa. At the end of the day, I just go out there and compete.

Q. How much of his advice from February and March did you actually carry into this season when he caught you?

AARON NOLA: Yeah, I mean, we've talked years about all that. I just tried to fine tune some things this year. He kind of helped me, I guess, speak that to me again to refresh my memory on a couple things, and yeah, I think it definitely helped.

Q. You said the other day that you wondered how many times brothers had played against each other in the same postseason series. Have you seen the research on that, that there's only been five other sets of brothers ever and only two in the last 50 years before you guys? What do you think it means to you and your family that when people look at those lists, you guys will be on it?

AARON NOLA: It's pretty neat, yeah. I didn't know how many brothers have faced off against each other. It's pretty cool, I guess.

Like I said, we're going to enjoy this moment and soak it in because we don't know when it'll ever happen again.

Q. The last was the Alomar brothers; that was about 25 years ago. Do you have any recollection of the Alomar brothers, Sandy and Robbie?

AARON NOLA: Yeah, sure. I don't think I watched that game back then, but yeah, for sure the Alomar brothers.

Q. Who left the tickets, you or your brother, for your parents?

AARON NOLA: I think he did today. Yeah, I think he did today.

Q. Austin was asked, unfortunately, one brother will move on to the World Series, the other one will not. Have you thought about that, or haven't gotten to that point, just kind of see what happens?

AARON NOLA: Yeah, see what happens. Haven't really thought about too much right now. I think we're pretty focused on this game today and these two games over here in San Diego.

But it'll come when it comes, but we've got to take it one game at a time.