3 Studs (and 2 Duds) From Phillies' Game 2 Win Over Marlins

The Phillies completed their two-game sweep of the Marlins in the NL Wild Card Series on Wednesday, closing out their division rivals with another easy win. Now it's on to the NLDS, where the Atlanta Braves await.

It helps when your starting pitcher is lights-out, of course, but several position players stepped up as well. Not everyone brought their best stuff, however, but we were still able to win anyways.

Before we look ahead to the upcoming NLDS, let's look back on the studs and duds of Game 2.

Phillies vs. Marlins Game 2: Studs & Duds

Stud: Aaron Nola

Nola had big shoes to fill after Zack Wheeler's dominant (and studworthy) performance in Game 1. Wheeler fired 6 2/3 innings of 1-run ball against Miami, yielding 5 hits and no walks while striking out 8 in a 4-1 victory.

Somehow, Nola managed to outdo him in Game 2, tossing 7 scoreless innings. He threw 57 of his 88 pitches for strikes and yielded just 3 hits and 1 walk while striking out 3. Nola also got 9 outs on the ground and induced a pair of double plays.

In the process, Nola joined Cole Hamels as the only other pitcher in Phillies history to throw at least 7 shutout innings in a potential clinching game in the playoffs.

That's pretty good company, eh?

Nola had his ups and downs this season, leading some to wonder if he could still pitch like an ace when the playoffs rolled around. He answered those questions on Wednesday with a vintage performance, essentially telling Wheeler to hold his beer.

Wheeler had the better season, but Nola is still Philly's ace. This game proved why.