Aaron Nola Calls His Outing 'Terrible' As Questions Arise for Phillies Star

The Philadelphia Phillies had an opportunity to win their sixth series in a row in the second game of the doubleheader after they took Game 1 in a low-scoring affair.

With Aaron Nola on the mound, the hope was he would be able to build off the positive starts he's recently had and deliver a gem to keep the momentum rolling.

That was not the case on Wednesday night.

Nola was shelled.

He was pulled after 3 2/3 innings and was credited with nine earned runs after he allowed a career-high 12 hits while striking out just two.

The same things that have plagued the right-hander in recent years came back to bite him in this one, giving up three homers that sapped any possibility of him putting together a decent start.

Perhaps the most concerning thing was that the Phillies offense gave him a monster lead to work with after they scored five in the first inning, only to see that advantage crumble in the top of the third inning when the Cardinals started teeing off on Nola.

What Did Aaron Nola Say About His Outing?

"I don't really have another answer for tonight besides; terrible," he said to reporters after the game, per NBC Sports Philadelphia.

After this outing, Nola sits with a 1-7 record and 6.16 ERA through nine starts.

He's already allowed 11 homers, a pace that should surpass his career-high of 32 given up in 2023, something that was followed by 30 long balls allowed in 2024.

No one seems to have an answer for what is going on with the former ace.

Cold weather was given as a reason at the beginning of the year since he has historically started seasons with his velocity lower than his normal averages. But for him to be struggling to this magnitude at this point in the campaign, there are real concerns about what Nola can provide going forward.

Thankfully, this version of Philadelphia doesn't need him to be a top-end starter.

Jesus Luzardo has pitched like an ace behind Zack Wheeler, and while Cristopher Sanchez has had some bumps along the way following his arm injury scare, he's still produced quality outings when he's been handed the ball.

However, if Nola can't turn things around, then the Phillies will be in the same boat they were last year when Taijuan Walker struggled every fifth day, preventing the team from truly putting together a fantastic season since a loss was penciled in almost every time Walker was on the mound.

It's hard to imagine that's going to be the case with Nola since he's been such a good starter for so long, but there are real warning signs with the 31-year-old that at this point in time that can only be quelled if he starts performing at a high level again.

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