By Tim Kelly, Sports Talk Philly editor 
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola has a 4.69 ERA at the All-Star break, having lost his last five starts while allowing 27 runs. The Phillies skipped Nola's final start before the All-Star Game, hoping Nola could recharge for a strong second half.
Former Phillies' ace Cole Hamels told Jim Salisbury of Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia that he believes Nola will bounce back from the first extended rough stretch of his Major League career:
“He’s good,” Hamels said of Nola. “He really is. He’s had success. He will figure it out. It's a chess match. Sometimes the opposing team gets you a little bit before you finally figure it out. If you don't lose that confidence, that's how you get yourself to another elite level. And he'll be there.”
Hamels is probably right in his assessment, especially when you consider that Nola had a 2.65 ERA prior to his past five starts. Had he continued on that pace, or even a similar pace, he likely would be with Hamels in San Diego as an All-Star representative.
In addition to the week off prior to the All-Star break and the All-Star break itself, the Phillies re-aligned their starting rotation for after the All-Star Game, giving Nola even more time off. Nola will be the fourth starting pitcher used after the break, meaning that if everything goes as expected, there will be 16 days in between his July 2 loss to the Kansas City Royals and his first start after the break against the Miami Marlins on July 18.
