PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Phillies will start right-hander Aaron Nola in Game 1 of the World Series against the Houston Astros and last season’s NL Cy Young Award runner-up Zack Wheeler in Game 2.
Game 1 of the World Series is Friday in Houston. Game 2 is Saturday.
Nola is 2-1 with a 3.12 ERA and has struck out 18 batters in three starts this postseason. Nola took a perfect game into the seventh inning in the Phillies’ 3-0 win over the Astros on Oct. 4 that clinched an NL wild-card spot. Nola, who went 11-13 with a 3.25 ERA this season, struck out nine and didn’t allow a baserunner until Yordan Alvarez singled with two outs in the seventh.
The Astros have not lost a game since that date, going 7-0 in the playoffs.
Wheeler is 1-1 with a 1.78 ERA and has struck out 25 and walked three in four postseason starts. He had a no-decision in Philadelphia’s National League Championship Series-clinching 4-3 win over San Diego in Game 5.
YANKEES: Owner Hal Steinbrenner plans to keep Aaron Boone as his manager.
“As far as Boone’s concerned, we just signed him and for all the same reasons I listed a year ago, I believe he is a very good manager,” Steinbrenner said Wednesday as he left the Yankees player development complex. “I don’t see a change there.”
Boone agreed last October to a three-year deal with a team option for 2025. In his fifth season as manager, New York sprinted to a 61-23 record in early July, sparking comparison with the 1998 champion Yankees. But hampered by injuries, the Yankees went 38-40 the rest of the way.
Cleveland extended the Division Series to five games before New York was swept in four games by Houston in the AL Championship Series.
“We didn’t get the job done … it’s time to get it done,” Steinbrenner said. “Any time we don’t win a championship, it’s a disappointing year. We had a lot of good ups, we had some downs, we had some injuries like everybody else.”
“But you’ve got to give it to the Astros,” Steinbrenner added. “They’re a very good team top to bottom. We just didn’t bring our `A’ game.”
The Yankees have not appeared in the World Series since winning their 27th championship in 2009.
New York was without table-setters DJ LeMahieu, who may need toe surgery, and Andrew Benintendi, recovering from wrist surgery, in the postseason.
Steinbrenner declined to address the pending free agency of outfielder Aaron Judge.
In the hours before Opening Day, Judge turned down a seven-year contract that would have paid $213.5 million from 2023-29, choosing instead to remain eligible for free agency after the World Series.
He set an American League record with 62 homers, tied for the major league lead with 131 RBI and finished second in the AL with a .311 batting average. But he hit just .139 with three RBI and 15 strikeouts in the postseason, going 1 for 16 (.063) with no RBI against the Astros.
Steinbrenner spent Monday at Yankee Stadium with GM Brian Cashman for early discussions about the upcoming offseason.
“We haven’t talked about anything yet,” Steinbrenner said. “Cash and I had some preliminary conversions.”
Cashman, the GM since 1998, is finishing a five-year contract.
In addition to Judge, pitcher Jameson Taillon, Benintendi and utilitymen Matt Carpenter and Marwin Gonzalez are eligible for free agency along with relievers Chad Green, Miguel Castro, Zack Britton and Aroldis Chapman.
Green (Tommy John surgery), Britton (setback following Tommy John surgery), Michael King (fractured elbow) and Ron Marinaccio (shin) were key relievers sidelined during the playoffs.
CARDINALS: Adam Wainwright will pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals next season, choosing to return for an 18th with the club while longtime teammates Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina head into retirement.
Cardinals President John Mozeliak said the 41-year-old Wainwright informed the NL Central champions of his decision to return shortly after they were eliminated by the Philadelphia Phillies in the wild-card round of the playoffs. Wainwright did not pitch during either game in part because he had struggled with his delivery late in the season.
Wainwright finished 11-12 with a 3.71 ERA in 32 start, his first losing season in which he made at least 20 starts. He won just twice over his final six starts, though, and had a 7.22 ERA while dealing with what he called a “dead arm.”
Wainwright earned $17.5 million on a one-year deal last season. Terms of his contract for 2023 have not been disclosed.
The right-hander will head into next season needing five wins to reach 200 for his career. Wainwright is 15 behind Jesse Haines for the second-most wins in franchise history; Bob Gibson is the leader with 251.
Wainwright and Molina set the major league record for career starts as a battery last season, eventually hitting 328 starts together. But with Molina heading into retirement, Andrew Knizner is in line to be the everyday catcher, though Mozeliak did indicate the club would be in the market for help behind the plate.
In other news, Mozeliak said he was willing to offer new contracts to pitching coach Mike Maddux and hitting coach Jeff Albert but both decided to step away.
UMPIRES: Dan Iassogna will be the crew chief for the seven umpires working the World Series.
Iassogna drew the third World Series assignment in his 21-year career and first as crew chief.
Also on the crew announced by Major League Baseball will be Lance Barksdale, James Hoye, Alan Porter, Tripp Gibson, Jordan Baker and Pat Hoberg.
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