PHILADELPHIA – Zack Wheeler delivered a vintage performance Saturday night, right when the Phillies needed it.
Interim manager Don Mattingly has downplayed this series as being more important than any other this season. But when you are in the midst of a four-game series in your home ballpark, down four in the divisional race, against the team in front of you, in September, it is hard not to feel every pressure-packed moment a little more than usual.
Wheeler did not feel that pressure one bit, handling the vaunted Braves lineup with ease through six innings. His offense did enough against Atlanta’s starter, Martin Pérez, to force an early exit and they kept a lead they earned in the first inning throughout, winning 4-2.
Return of the Zack
Despite my glowing soliloquy about his performance, Wheeler’s night looked like it might hop off the rails fast. He surrendered back-to-back singles and a walk to load the bases with no one out in the first inning. As one of the Phillies’ aces, he battled out without a scratch, retiring the next three hitters in order.
From here, he was off the races. Wheeler would face 17 more batters, retiring 15 of them. His lone blemish was a home run off the bat of Ronald Acuña Jr. in the third. Over six innings, throwing 95 pitches and allowing only three hits and two walks, the veteran right-hander struck out nine before exiting for the night.
“Definitely [impressed], right?” Mattingly said of his starter’s outing. “Two [good outings] in a row, guys start gaining momentum. All the stuff was really good tonight. Fastball was taken off a little bit…every out you get in a game like this is big.
Understanding the dominance of a six-inning outing goes beyond the pitching line. His efficiency was next-level. Wheeler got ahead in 16 of 23 plate appearances. He went to an 0-2 count in six of those. The results in those situations? A single in the first, then a pop-out and four strikeouts.
Opponents only forced four 3-ball counts, three of which were full counts. He only went 2-0 three times. The same lineup that grinded against Cristopher Sánchez, making him throw six-or-more pitches eight times, only did so against Wheeler five times – and only twice did he throw more than six. It was a masterclass in being effective and purposeful with your attack.
Acuña situation
The 43,241 fans in attendance made their voices heard, and they ensured boos rained down upon Acuña, especially after his celebratory trot around the bases after the aforementioned homer. The fans were not happy. They cheered with an edge. Wheeler pitched with one.
Wheeler seemed to stare down the Braves right fielder after his eccentric trot. The Phillies starter said finishing the fifth by striking out Acuña felt good after the right fielder got him earlier in the game. He said the home run didn’t bother him, but he got a minor jab in.
“He hit a home run. It’s up to him to do what he wants,” Wheeler told reporters. “Our guy just rounds the bases that hits 50 a year, but he can do whatever he wants.”
That strikeout in the fifth may have been the loudest the fans have been all season, let alone Saturday night.
The series is evened up. Two more chances to gain ground on their NL East rival. If they play like they did tonight, they should.
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