Closer? Setup man? Neris open to anything

NEW YORK – Héctor Neris lost his job on Wednesday, but he found himself back in that same job on Friday.

He could be back there again on Saturday, too.

“It’s the life, it’s baseball,” Neris said before Saturday’s game against the Mets at Citi Field. “Hey, I want to strike out everybody. I want to get everybody out as soon as I can. When I’m in the game, I want to control what I can control. But the other guy has a bat, too. I’m not a superhero. I don’t get three outs all the time.”

Neris threw a perfect inning on just seven pitches (seven strikes) to earn the save in Friday’s 2-1 victory in Game 2. It was his first appearance since Phillies manager Joe Girardi removed him from the closer’s role after he blew three saves in his previous five appearances, posting a 12.46 ERA in the process. But after José Alvarado threw 31 pitches in Game 1 and Archie Bradley pitched the seventh inning in Game 2, the Phillies turned to Neris to get the save in the eighth.

“You don’t know what will happen until the last out,” Neris said. “When you’re in uniform and healthy, you can help the team at any time. Everybody is available. You just have to be there and wait for your moment.”

Neris said he understood why Girardi removed him from the closer’s role. Everybody, he said, wants to win.

“I’m here to help the team, it doesn’t matter what the situation,” he said.

The situation could call for Neris in a save situation again on Saturday. Alvarado and Bradley (26 pitches) threw a lot of pitches on Friday, so they might be unavailable.

“It’s funny how it works out, right?” Girardi said. “That’s why in this game you can never -- if something happens to you that you don’t like -- you can never put your head down because the opportunity will create itself again really quickly a lot of times.”

Nola ready to get back to work

Aaron Nola was not basking in the glory of a record-tying performance on Friday, when he struck out 10 consecutive batters in Game 1 to tie Tom Seaver’s Major League record.

But the Hall of Fame did request Nola’s cap from the game. It is not the first time the Hall received some of Nola’s gear. He donated his jersey from the 2018 season finale because he was an NL Cy Young candidate. They also grabbed his jersey at least three other times because he was an All-Star or Cy Young contender.

Nola said he got the ball from the 10th strikeout. He isn’t sure if he'll receive anything else.

A lineup card, maybe?

“I don’t know, maybe,” Nola said.

Mementos really weren’t on his mind, anyway.

“I’m just trying to get ready for the next game,” he said. “I want to keep feeling good out there.”

Moore will start again

On Friday night, Girardi did not commit to left-hander Matt Moore making another start, even after he pitched five scoreless innings against the Mets in Game 2. But the manager said Saturday that Moore will start again.

“I can’t tell you exactly what date,” Girardi said. “We’ve got to get through these next three days to see where we’re at. But my expectation is that he’s going to start again.”

Right-handers Zack Wheeler, Spencer Howard and Vince Velasquez are scheduled to pitch the next three days.

So, how does that work exactly? And, specifically, what does that mean for Howard?

“We’ll continue to look at it,” Girardi said. “We may need to have … six starters in the rotation a little bit just because of we’re [playing] 17 days in a row. We’ll be creative about what we do.”

The bullpen does not sound like an option for Howard.

“Our idea is to develop him as a starter,” Girardi said. “He needs to have his other pitches to where they’re effective.”