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Zack Wheeler allowed a single and home run to Ronald Acu\u00f1a Jr. and struck him out in his last at-bat. (Logan Gehman\/Phillies Nation)<\/p>\nZack Wheeler allowed a single and home run to Ronald Acu\u00f1a Jr. and struck him out in his last at-bat. (Logan Gehman\/Phillies Nation)<\/p>\n
PHILADELPHIA \u2014 As Ronald Acu\u00f1a Jr. rounded second, he paused. With third base many many feet away, Acu\u00f1a swayed his feet back and forth. As Acu\u00f1a danced in the middle of the diamond, the Citizens Bank Park crowd serenaded him with angry boos. <\/p>\n
He did whatever he wanted after absolutely crushing a pitch to the second deck in left field in his second at-bat against Zack Wheeler. Wheeler and the Phillies, however, won where it counted in a 4-2 victory on Saturday night at Citizens Bank Park. Atlanta (84-58) still has a four-game lead over Philadelphia (80-62) in the race for the NL East. <\/p>\n
Wheeler and Acu\u00f1a met again for the third time on Saturday in the fifth inning. Already with a single and home run against Wheeler, the crowd was determined to see Wheeler get him out. On 0-1, Wheeler brushed him in high and tight. Acu\u00f1a dropped the bat, and Wheeler\u2019s catcher J.T. Realmuto picked it up. After getting a touch of the bat on two 3-2 pitches fouled off, Acu\u00f1a was finally set down on strikes for the final out. The crowd erupted as Wheeler and Acu\u00f1a gave a quick glance at each before heading back to their respective dugouts. <\/p>\n
\u201cI really wanted to strike him out right there,\u201d Wheeler said. \u201cKind of get him back, so to speak.\u201d <\/p>\n
Wheeler, even after injury, is still the biggest star on the mound for the Phillies. Acu\u00f1a, even after injury, is still the biggest star at the plate for the Braves. The two competitors have embraced the rivalry over the years. Wheeler vs. Acu\u00f1a with the division at stake in September isn\u2019t quite high on the list of big moments between the Phillies and Braves since they met in the postseason in 2022, but the intensity of it all was fun in the moment. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou feed off of it,\u201d Wheeler said. \u201cI knew going into the at-bat that it was going to be a big at-bat. The crowd definitely helped me out.\u201d <\/p>\n
Wheeler, never afraid to hold back his thoughts when they are warranted, had some thoughts about Acu\u00f1a\u2019s longer-than-usual home run trot. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt doesn\u2019t really bother me all that much,\u201d Wheeler quipped. \u201cDo whatever he wants. He hit a home run. It\u2019s up to him to do what he wants. Our guy just rounds the bases that hits 50 a year.\u201d <\/p>\n
Wheeler was referencing Kyle Schwarber, who hit a long home run of his own an inning later in the fourth. A thumbs up is about all you\u2019ll get from Schwarber, who looks more relieved than excited when he hits one out of the park. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think in today\u2019s game, you see it all the time,\u201d interim manager Don Mattingly said about Acu\u00f1a\u2019s home run trot. \u201cIt\u2019s not something that you don\u2019t see. It\u2019s more commonplace. I\u2019m sure it still irritates guys to a point. You know, it\u2019s kind of, \u2018Let the kids play.\u2019 We started that. That\u2019s what you get.\u201d <\/p>\n
It\u2019s all a game within a game. And game respects game. Wheeler, after taking a subtle dig at Acu\u00f1a, praised him and their battles over the years. Acu\u00f1a has gotten the better of him. In 57 regular-season plate appearances, Acu\u00f1a has nine extra-base hits against Wheeler. <\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, he\u2019s a really good player,\u201d Wheeler said. \u201cInjuries have hurt him a little bit, but he\u2019s a really good player, good swing. If you make a mistake like I did, he can put you in the seats. Gotta be careful with him and pitch smart.\u201d <\/p>\n
Between the lines, the big takeaway from Wheeler\u2019s outing is that he looked more like his dominant self from the first half of the season. It did not start out that way. He loaded the bases in the first inning on a pair of singles and a walk, but was able to get three straight outs and open the game with a zero. He needed only 18 pitches to get out of the jam. The Acu\u00f1a home run was the only run allowed by Wheeler over six innings.<\/p>\n
\u201cDefinitely a step in the right direction,\u201d Wheeler said. <\/p>\n
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