By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola finished his third season with the club in 2017 with a career 24-22 record, 3.94 ERA and 1.236 WHIP in 60 starts. The seventh overall pick in the 2014 amateur draft was always projected to be a reliable, top-three rotation arm for the Phillies.
Seventeen starts later into the 2018 season, Nola has shown his worth far exceeds such of the aforementioned expectations. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana native improved to 10-2 with a 2.48 in the club's 4-3 series opener win against the Washington Nationals on Thursday, tossing 7 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts. Nola allowed just one run on five hits and two walks spanning a career-high 114 pitches.
With the victory, Nola picked up his seventh straight winning decision at Citizens Bank Park, as well as his 12th straight quality start at the the venue. The last Phillies starter to win seven or more consecutive home decisions is 2008 World Series champion Joe Blanton, who won eight straight from June 2010 to May 2012.
Nola is well-poised for his first career All-Star nod, having thrown at least six innings in 23 straight home starts, and allowed just one run in each of his last five outings at Citizens Bank Park. If named to the National League team, set to compete Tuesday, July 17, at Nationals Park, Nola would become the Phillies' first All-Star starter since Cliff Lee in 2013 and Cole Hamels in 2012.
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Hamels (2012) and Nola are among seven Phillies starters since 1999 to win 10 games in a season before July, joining the late Roy Halladay (2011), Eric Milton (2004), Vicente Padilla (2002), Paul Byrd (1999) and Curt Schilling (1999).
While fans do not elect pitchers to the Midsummer Classic through ballot voting, Nola surely is capturing the attention among fellow players and managers throughout the league. Nola has surely proven he is All-Star and ace-worthy, especially within the Phillies rotation. The Cy Young Award is not too far-fetched either.
Entering his start on Thursday, Nola ranked third among National League starters in opposing OPS (.567), tied for third in wins (9) and innings (101 1/3), fourth in HR/9 IP (0.53), fifth in ERA (2.58), WHIP (1.02) and opposing batting average (.207), and eight in strikeouts (99). With the win, Nola has entered a three-way tie with Max Scherzer and Jon Lester for the most National League victories, 10.
