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Phillies' Aaron Nola Comments on Terrible Start, 'It's Unacceptable'

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matthew Sullivan | Last updated Apr 17, 2025 11:43 AM ET

The Philadelphia Phillies went into the 2025 season with what many believed to be the best starting rotation in baseball. Aaron Nola, one of the core members of that rotation, just had one of the worst starts of his career. After the game, Nola didn't hold back in criticizing himself.

During a post-game interview on Phillies post-game live, Nola commented on his terrible outing against the San Francisco Giants.

The first question he was asked was about his command, and Nola had a strong response about his command and the start overall. "Yeah, it drives me crazy. I mean, it's unacceptable."

In five and one-third innings, Nola allowed nine hits, six earned runs, and four walks. It's the second game of 2025 where Nola allowed four walks. His rough start has been marred by command issues, and it's something that Nola knows he needs to fix.

"Three times in my career I've done that, and two times in the past two games. I just gotta get ahead better, too many free passes... making it harder on myself."

In his 11th season in the Major Leagues, Nola has gotten off to the worst start of his career. In four games, Nola is has no wins and four losses, which leads all of Major League Baseball. He has a 6.65 ERA, allowing 16 earned runs in 21 and two thirds innings.

His latest start was one of his worst, and Nola knows it. "Definitely the worst start I've ever had, by far, I feel like." While the beginning of the year has been a slog for Nola, he knows what he has to do to bounce back.

"All I can do is keep working and keep trying to have good weeks and prepare as best as I can for the next game I pitch in."

Nola has allowed the most earned runs in baseball through April 16, and it's the worst stretch of baseball Nola has had in his career. While his struggles are concerning, Nola himself has faith that he will figure things out. "I'll clean it up."

Nola's next start is scheduled for Monday, April 21 against the New York Mets. A good outing against one the top team in the National League East would be massive in Nolas' return to form after a terrible start to the 2025 season.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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