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Aaron Nola struggles once again, and this time, it was the St. Louis Cardinals who took full advantage of this downward spiral. In a lopsided 14-7 loss that followed a win in Game 1 of the Philadelphia Phillies vs. Cardinals doubleheader, the team watched their veteran right-hander allow a career-high 12 hits and three home runs in just 3.2 innings. It was a start that raised red flags not only for Nola himself but for the entire Phillies rotation moving forward.
Philadelphia jumped out to a quick 5–1 lead, thanks to a J.T. Realmuto Homer and timely hitting off Cardinals starter Sony Gray. But Nola couldn't hold it. The Cardinals pounded him relentlessly in the third and fourth innings, flipping the game with a flurry of extra-base hits and long balls.
A post on X (formerly Twitter) by The Athletic's Matt Gelb truly showcased the true thrashing the St. Louis lineup put on the veteran right-hander.
“Aaron Nola allowed a career-high 12 hits in 3 1/2 innings tonight. Many of them were hit hard. Three were homers,” Gelb stated on the post.
The Phillies rotation has held steady throughout the early season, but Nola's inconsistency is becoming more glaring by the week. After two strong outings to open May, he's now given up 13 runs across just 8.2 innings in his last two starts. His command is off, and his fastball location has been a recurring issue.
The loss drops the Phillies to 25-18, three games back of the first-place Mets in the NL East standings, though they still hold a four-game lead over the third-place Braves. However, with the rotation depth already being tested, Nola's recent form comes at a tough time.
While Ranger Suárez and Taijuan Walker have shown promise, the Nola struggles have added pressure to a staff expected to carry the team into October. With another four days until his next scheduled start, the Phillies will need Nola to regroup and rediscover his rhythm if they want to stay in close pursuit of the Mets.
