Nola brothers to make MLB history in Game 2 of NLCS

Aaron Nola and Austin Nola are about to make postseason history.

The two brothers — Aaron, a pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, and Austin, the primary catcher for the San Diego Padres — will face off against one another in Game 2 of the NLCS, where Aaron is scheduled to be the starter. It'll be the first time two siblings have ever faced one another as pitcher and batter in MLB postseason history.

The two have faced one another six times in the regular season, with Austin managing a hit, a walk and two strikeouts. That hit was a big one, however, with Austin slapping a go-ahead RBI single that proved the difference in a 1-0 Padres win over the Phillies in June.

Aaron Nola's 11-13 record was misleading this season — his 3.25 ERA helped anchor the Phillies' rotation, and he's 2-0 with 12.2 scoreless innings, 12 strikeouts and three walks in the 2022 postseason. Austin has been a solid backstop for the Padres, hitting .251 with four home runs and 40 RBIs.

Though the Nolas will make history in Wednesday night's matchup, they're not the first pair of brothers to be on opposing sides of a postseason series. According to ESPN Stats & Information, siblings have played one another eight times before:

Sandy Alomar (Cleveland Guardians) and Roberto Alomar (Baltimore Orioles) in the 1996 ALDS and 1997 ALCS

Dane Iorg (Kansas City Royals) and Garth Iorg (Toronto Blue Jays) in the 1985 ALCS

Clete Boyer (New York Yankees) and Ken Boyer (St. Louis Cardinals) in the 1964 World Series

Irish Meusel (New York Giants) and Bob Meusel (New York Yankees) in the 1921, 1922 and 1923 World Series

Doc Johnston (Cleveland) and Jimmy Johnston (Brooklyn Dodgers) in the 1920 World Series