The Philadelphia Phillies are down bad right now, and Aaron Nola is feeling the heat.
The Phillies’ ace starting pitcher opened up about the snowball effect amid the team’s six-game losing skid, which continued after their 5-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Monday at Wrigley Field.
The Phillies had World Series expectations but are in fourth place in the National League East at 8-14 and are only a game ahead of the reeling-rival New York Mets in the division.
They have the fourth-highest payroll in the majors, and the third-highest in the National League behind only the Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Aaron Nola: ‘Right Now When Things Go Wrong, They Really Go Wrong’
The Phillies offense has been awful through the first month, and it is putting heat on their pitching staff. They have 10 runs scored over their current losing skid and have a minus-32 run differential in that span.
“Right now, it feels like when things go wrong, they really go wrong,” Nola said. “But we’ve got to keep playing hard and competing.”
The Phillies rank 25th in the majors in OPS and are tied for 27th in runs scored. They are 28th in team ERA (4.87), and staff ace Cristopher Sanchez (1.59) is the only starting pitcher with an ERA below 5.
“It’s not where you want to be, obviously,” first baseman Bryce Harper said. “Not where we thought we were going to be starting the season. But we can’t really think about that. We’ve got to flush things as quickly as possible and get ready for tomorrow. It’s part of the game.
Rob Thomson’s Job is in Danger
Manager Rob Thomson’s job status was tenuous entering the 2026 season, and this start has done nothing to stem the noise about him potentially being let go.
The Phillies, of course, reached the World Series after Thomson replaced Joe Girardi just four years ago when Girardi was fired. After the Phils fell to the Dodgers in the NLDS last season, Thomson only signed a one-year contract — amid scrutiny that his deal would not be renewed.
The passionate Phillies fan base, whose usual cry is to fire first and ask questions later, have gotten louder in their calls for the manager to be let go. But he is trying to keep his team on an even keel as they continue to push through their early-season doldrums.
“They’re fighting,” Thomson said. “There’s a lot of hope and a lot of pride in there.”
There’s still 140 games left, which means there is ample time to make up ground. But it’s getting late early for the Phillies, since their recent slide is coinciding with the Atlanta Braves‘ red-hot streak, since they have also won six in a row.
Philadelphia is already 7.5 games back of Atlanta, and is five games out of a wild-card spot, after just 22 games.
Still, even though Thomson appears to be acting patiently, which further enrages Phillies fans, he said he has been cracking the whip behind closed doors.
“Oh, I’ve been saying a lot,” he admitted. “But I keep that in the clubhouse.”
Phillies’ Aaron Nola Sends Blunt Message on Losing Streak After Cubs Loss