Arguably the biggest weakness that the Philadelphia Phillies have had to overcome during the 2026 MLB regular season has been the backend of their starting rotation.Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo have been excellent at the top of the rotation. They can match up with basically any rotation in baseball and would be more than enough for the team to lean on through a playoff series.However, to get to the playoffs, they need more from their backend options. After not making a deal ahead of the MLB trade deadline to add another starting pitcher, the onus will fall upon Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter to perform at a high enough level to give the team a chance to win games.Nola has had his fair share of struggles this year, with his ERA reaching 6.04 after an implosion against the Pittsburgh Pirates, allowing eight runs, seven earned, across 4.1 innings. At that point, his ERA since the start of the 2025 season was the third-worst in baseball.Aaron Nola showing signs of life for PhilliesAug 3, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (27) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThere were serious questions about how much longer the Phillies could count on him. However, since that point, he has been performing at a much higher level; unfortunately, the team has not been able to take advantage.Since that poor outing against the Pirates, Nola has started seven games. Philadelphia is a disappointing 1-6, with the lone victory coming against the Washington Nationals on Aug. 3 and marking their first win in a game started by someone other than Sanchez, Wheeler or Luzardo since June 24.Over those seven most recent starts, Nola has done his part to keep the team in games, giving them an opportunity to win. He has been giving interim manager Don Mattingly better length, averaging 5.7 innings per outing after averaging only 5.0 innings per outing over his first 17 starts.Nola pitched into the sixth inning in all but one of his last seven starts after doing it only four times in 17 tries before this stretch. Only once in his last seven outings has Nola surrendered more than three earned runs.Aaron Nola giving Phillies everything they need to win gamesJul 28, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola (27) throws in the third inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectOne defeat for him came in a 1-0 loss to the Miami Marlins, and another loss for the team came in 11 innings.Over his last seven starts, Nola has a 4.28 ERA in 40 innings with 42 strikeouts. He is still giving up far too many home runs, with 10 allowed, but he is at least doing a better job of limiting the damage and keeping his team in the game.If he can pitch to a 4.28 ERA the remainder of the season, the Phillies would gladly take that as a massive improvement over what he has provided since the start of 2025.Sign up for our free newsletter to receive the latest news and updates!Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow