Zack Wheeler had words for Toronto’s hitting coach after an argument about the pitching rubber. (Brendan Baldwin/Phillies Nation)
PHILADELPHIA — Phillies ace Zack Wheeler hurled an expletive at the Blue Jays’ dugout on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park.
“Fuck you,” the right-hander said from the pitcher’s mound in the top of the fourth inning.
Wheeler turned toward the bench with some words after Toronto hitting coach David Popkins was ejected by home-plate umpire John Tumpane. The Blue Jays were discussing Wheeler’s delivery from the windup throughout the game. With two outs in the fourth, Tumpane had heard enough from Popkins. Evidently, so had Wheeler.
Wheeler said the Phillies were informed after his June 21 start on NBC and Peacock that Major League Baseball saw footage where it appeared that his right foot was not in contact with the pitching rubber on at least certain pitches. The league then put Wheeler on a list, the pitcher and interim manager Don Mattingly said. The Phillies contend that they have video that shows Wheeler always keeps his foot on the rubber.
On Friday, Wheeler saw Blue Jays manager John Schneider talking with Tumpane and knew what it was about. Wheeler then told Tumpane, “I’d just appreciate if you don’t see anything, just don’t say anything” — meaning not to go looking for any violations that the umpires don’t notice on their own. Tumpane, Wheeler said, replied that MLB has him on a list, so he’s going to get some scrutiny on the matter. Tumpane told Wheeler before the fourth inning to make sure he stays on the rubber.
“That inning,” Wheeler said, “I think their hitting coach just yelled, ‘Get him on the rubber!’ and John tossed him.” Wheeler shared his thoughts with Popkins as well.
The veteran Wheeler allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings in a 5-4 loss. He grinded for 116 pitches in a rain-delayed start that also included a pregame Wall of Fame induction ceremony for Phillies icon Chase Utley. But Wheeler did not provide significant length on a night when the Phillies knew they’d be a bit shorthanded in the bullpen.
He recorded six strikeouts, but he gave up five walks and seven hits. The Blue Jays struck first against Wheeler when Andrés Giménez hit a solo home run in the second. Wheeler surrendered another run in the third on an Alejandro Kirk sacrifice fly. Philadelphia tied the game in the following half-inning both times.
Before Wheeler began the fourth, Tumpane spoke with the starter, who cruised through the first two outs. Then Popkins was thrown out for pressing the issue. But the Blue Jays responded with a hit and a walk, and Nathan Lukes ripped a go-ahead single into right field.
Wheeler pitched into the sixth inning, but he loaded the bases with one out following a Lukes single to end a 15-pitch at-bat. Left-hander Tim Mayza finished the frame with only one more run on Wheeler’s line.
“They kind of pushed him,” Mattingly, the bench coach in Toronto the previous three seasons, said. “It’s kind of what they do. They foul you off, and it’s hard to punch guys over there. They do put the ball in play. We kind of wanted them to put the ball in play at times, but they just pushed his pitch count and battled. But I thought his stuff was good tonight.”
The Phillies (62-55) had some scoring opportunities, but they did not fully capitalize. In the bottom of the fifth, they put runners on second and third with no outs. Their top three batters, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner and Bryce Harper, all struck out. Down two runs in the seventh, they loaded the bases for new cleanup hitter Luis Arraez; he flew out to to center field to end the inning.
Down three in the ninth after reliever Caleb Kilian let up an eighth-inning homer to Josh Smith, the Phillies scored two runs and had the bases loaded with one out. But Alec Bohm grounded into a first-pitch force out at home, and Brandon Marsh rolled over to end the game. Toronto (55-62) scored in four separate innings against Wheeler and did just enough to hold on.
After the game, Schneider explained his conversations with Tumpane and the Blue Jays’ side of the issue with Wheeler.
“Let me say this first and foremost,” Schneider said, “Zack Wheeler is an unbelievable pitcher and has been for a long time. I have all the respect in the world for him, and you guys all know how I feel about Don Mattingly. We were just getting information that his foot was off the rubber on the first-base side, from video angles with that little step back from the windup. And I’m just gonna do everything I can to protect my guys, you know what I mean?
“Again, it’s hard to see in real time. We were just getting video angles of that, and this dude has been pitching at an elite level for his entire career. So that being said, I just wanted to make that known to the umpires, and they did and they were looking for it. I think they told Donnie the same thing. It’s hard to see in real time, but there was just an example of our hitting coach kind of protecting the players and me doing the same.”
Wheeler had different theory about why the Blue Jays were concerned about him, taking a jab at least year’s American League champions who just sold off players at the trade deadline amid a disappointing season.
“They’ve lost a lot of games over there,” Wheeler said, “so they’re probably trying to pick some things up to complain about.”
Mattingly said that the Phillies have camera angles proving that Wheeler does not violate the rules in his windup. MLB, apparently, is still watching out for it. But Wheeler, who now has a 2.69 ERA in 19 starts, maintained that he is pitching legally. He plans to keep toeing the first-base side of the rubber, just as he has done throughout his 12-year major-league career.
“I’m gonna keep doing what I do,” Wheeler said. “I’ve been pitching over there forever, and I’m gonna keep doing it.”
— Destiny Lugardo contributed to this report.
