Subscribe
Follow Us
Revenge games do not always go exactly how a player envisions. While Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Zach Eflin surely wanted to defeat his former team, Philadelphia Phillies' Aaron Nola ruined his plans with a gem of his own in a 3-1 win, Tuesday.
Eflin, who wanted to stay in Philadelphia before signing a three-year, $40 million contract in free agency, was obviously disappointed about how things went. Though, the righty could not help but recall all of the good times he had with his former teammates, whom with he shared an unforgettable World Series trip last year.
“It sucks to have lost that game, obviously, to the Phillies,” Eflin said, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. “But I’ll tell you what, I enjoyed every single day I had competing with those guys, and it was fun to kind of throw it back and compete against them”
The mixed emotions and humble response perfectly sum up the classiness that Eflin consistently exudes. He is fully embracing his time with the Rays and is currently posting a 3.24 ERA. The Rays boast the American League's best record at 57-31, so the 29-year-old has a chance to be a part of another special group this season. Still, he has nothing but love for that 2022 Phillies squad, especially the guy who beat him on the mound.
“There’s just a bunch of tremendous people over there, and on top of that, I got to pitch against my best friend. So as good as he did, it would have been nice to win the game. But I’m super happy for him and looking forward to trying to get the series right (Wednesday).”
Aaron Nola was in top form, striking out 12 batters while allowing just one run in just over seven innings of work. If he can deal at that level on a regular basis, Philadelphia could replicate the same magic that culminated in an improbable pennant run. But the team would probably be feeling a tad more confident if Zach Eflin was still there.
