By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
After winning 10 of his previous 14 starts — posting a 2.45 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 91 2/3 innings — Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola has received his first career Major League Baseball All-Star Game nod.
Nola, 25, leads the National League in wins (11) and winning percentage (.846), and ranks third in innings pitched (116), fourth in WHIP (1.03), fifth in ERA (2.41) and sixth in strikeouts (116).
Read: Phillies' Nola Among National League's Best Entering All-Star Game
While fans vote in starting position players, pitchers and reserves are also selected through player ballots and the Commissioner's Office. MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince describes how Nola and the 11 other National League pitchers — Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, Jon Lester, Josh Hader, Kenley Jansen, Patrick Corbin, Sean Doolittle, Mike Foltynewicz, Brad Hand, Miles Mikolas and Felipe Vazquez — were selected to the 89th Midsummer Classic:
"In short, it's a group effort. The player ballot, the Commissioner's Office and the fans all have a say in how the rosters rounded out. The new wrinkle this year is that the NL and AL skippers (in this case, Dave Roberts and AJ Hinch) no longer have a say in the selections, so there won't be accusations of homerism. … The Commissioner's Office is responsible for selecting seven NL players (four pitchers and three position players) and five AL players (four pitchers and one position player). At this stage, MLB must ensure that every club is represented by at least one All-Star selection."
While Nola has struggled in nine starts on the road this season — going 3-2 with a 3.23 ERA, 1.113 WHIP and 44-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio — the Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native has excelled through nine home appearances — going 8-0 with a 1.71 ERA, 0.952 WHIP and 53-22 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Nola's victory over the Baltimore Orioles on July 4 allowed him to join Tommy Greene (9-0, 1993) as the only Phillies pitchers to go 8-0 or better at home prior to the All-Star break.
Nola is the first Phillies All-Star starting pitcher since Cliff Lee in 2013, and is the youngest in club history since Cole Hamels (23) in 2007. Nola is currently the lone Phillies All-Star for this year's Midsummer Classic on Tuesday, July 17, at Nationals Park.
