Austin Nola: "I’m going to congratulate him, but not right now. Hell no"

One of the most interesting subplots of the NLCS was Austin Nola facing off against his brother, Aaron Nola. The San Diego Padres catcher and the Philadelphia Phillies pitcher became the first batter-pitcher sibling combo to face off against each other in MLB postseason history when they met in Game 2 of the NLCS.

Austin Nola's Padres were recently eliminated by his younger brother Aaron's Phillies in five electric NLCS games. When asked if he had already sent his congratulations to his brother, Austin said through Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune that he still hasn't.

"Padres catcher Austin Nola, asked by @sdutSanders whether he planned to congratulate brother #Phillies starter Aaron Nola on Sunday. "I love my brother, but I have to let those emotions pass before I even talk to him. I’m going to congratulate him, but not right now. Hell no.''" - @ Bob Nightengale

The older Nola shared that he will eventually send his congratulations to his younger brother. However, due to the high stakes that their job entails and his spirit as a competitor, he might need more time before he can send his regards.

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Austin Nola and his brother Aaron Nola make MLB postseason history

The Nola brothers became the first batter-pitcher pair to oppose each other in MLB postseason history. Austin went 1-for-2 with an RBI single against his brother Aaron in Game 2 of the NLCS wherein the siblings faced off.

Austin finished the 2022 postseason by batting .225 with nine base hits and five RBIs. Aaron, meanwhile, had his worst series yet against the San Diego Padres. He gave up six runs in his sole start, in turn crediting him with his first loss of the postseason. His Phillies will face the Houston Astros in the World Series next.

The Astros are a hot outfit, making consecutive World Series appearances across 2021 and 2022.