The Philadelphia Phillies lost their most recent series to the Cincinnati Reds, keeping interim manager Don Mattingly from making history.They went into that matchup winners in six straight series since he took over. Had they reached seven, he would have been in a class of his own. Alas, they failed to reach that point, and one of the reasons was starting pitcher Aaron Nola.He wasn’t solely responsible for the team’s two-game losing streak, but he certainly didn’t help matters when he took the ball for the matinee rubber match. Nola didn’t allow a home run or issue a walk for only the second time this season, which was encouraging.However, the last time he did it, he threw six shutout innings against the Miami Marlins. This time, the Reds still found plenty of success against him, racking up eight hits that resulted in four runs scored.Aaron Nola struggling mightily for PhilliesApr 26, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (27) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. | Dale Zanine-Imagn ImagesHis season ERA now sits at a brutal 6.04 to go along with a 1.56 WHIP. During an appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic, Jayson Stark of The Athletic shared some more startling statistics about just how poorly the veteran righty has been performing this season.“I don't know how anyone can say it is early anymore. This is something they need to figure out and fix... Leadoff hitters have a .448 on-base percentage against him. The 3 and 4 hitters are both slugging over .650 against him. With men on base, hitters have over 1.000 OPS against him... This is a huge worry,” Stark said, via 97.5 The Fantatic’s X page.One of the most important aspects of being a starting pitcher is navigating trouble and limiting damage. That isn’t something Nola has shown he is capable of doing regularly this season, especially early in games when working through the best batters in the opposition’s lineup.Those are staggering numbers. The league leader in on-base percentage, entering play on May 22, is Nick Kurtz of the Athletics with a .438. Ben Rice of the New York Yankees currently owns the highest slugging percentage at .644.How much has Aaron Nola struggled? @jaysonst shared some troubling stats with @975Unfiltered"I dont know how anyone can say it is early anymore. This is something they need to figure out and fix... Leadoff hitters have a .448 on base against him. The 3 and 4 hitters are both… pic.twitter.com/M5fG08F5QS— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) May 21, 2026Opponents who lead off, hitting No. 3 and No. 4 in the order, are producing above league-leading numbers against Nola right now. And as Stark pointed out, if men are on base, the opposition truly tees off on him with an OPS north of 1.000; Rice and Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros are the only players with a four-digit OPS in baseball, entering play on May 22.Inability to locate pitches is hurting him the most. He is struggling to find the zone with any consistency, and when he does, especially with his fastball, he is still missing his spot. Too often, he is in the middle of the plate with his four-seamer, and opponents are taking full advantage.Falling behind in counts and not having the necessary arsenal to combat that is a recipe for disaster. He doesn’t currently have a pitch to attack left-handed hitters with, as they have produced a .303/.389/.495 slash line through 126 plate appearances in 2026.This is a troubling development that Philadelphia has to figure out sooner rather than later, because it is at a disadvantage right now each time Nola takes the mound. An opener ahead of Nola should be strongly considered.Sign up for our free newsletter to receive the latest news and updates on the Phillies!Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow