Zack Wheeler bounces back with six strong vs. Angels

Philadelphia mounted a surreal comeback with Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper homering in the eighth inning to essentially force extra-innings before Alec Bohm’s go-ahead homer kept their season alive. Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola are the most logical candidates, but they could decide to give the ball to lefty Jesús Luzardo as an opener after he went five innings during Game 1 earlier this week. It’ll be an all-hands-on-deck situation regardless of who takes the ball to kick off the winner-take-all affair.

Wheeler would have been held back for the Wild Card series if the Phillies could have clinched earlier. Now they’re in, but if Wheeler is going to contribute against the Braves, he’ll have to do so on short rest, presumably in a Game 3 on Thursday. Wheeler finishes the season 14-5 with a 3.00 ERA and a 193/47 K/BB in 162 innings.

Wheeler struck out 11 in all in the no-decision, and third of those was the 2,000th of his career. He could pitch again Sunday, but it seems very unlikely that he will. Assuming that he’s done until the Phillies’ Wild Card series, he ends the year 13-5 with a 3.06 ERA. Two runs in the sixth tonight prevented him from posting a sub-3.00 ERA for the sixth time in seven seasons.

It was as if Wheeler didn’t break a sweat during this start. He only needed 91 pitches to get through these seven shutout innings and just one runner reached scoring position. Of the four hits he let up, only two left the infield as he commanded his entire repertoire beautifully. His fastball was regularly at the letters or elevated above the zone, his cutter consistently bearing down on the hands of the Nationals’ left-handed batters, and his splitter diving low and below the zone practically every single time he threw it. This was the exact type of start the reeling Phillies needed and Wheeler is scheduled for a potentially marquee matchup with the Brewers next time out. He could wind up with a second start if the end of the regular season gets hairy, but it’s difficult to predict that.

He was allowed to pitch out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh and did so by striking out pinch-hitter Yainer Diaz, but the Phillies couldn’t get anything going against Cristian Javier and Wheeler left with the score knotted at one. Wheeler has now reeled off three straight starts of allowing exactly one earned run after his nine-run blowup against the Mariners on August 24. He’s struck out 24 in 19 innings in that stretch. He can be started with confidence against the Nationals next week.

Wheeler started the top of the first inning by loading the bases with no outs and got himself out of the jam unscathed with a pop-up, a strikeout, and a flyout. After a clean second inning, Ronald Acuña Jr. took Wheeler deep for a solo homer in the third. Wheeler settled in for three more scoreless innings, holding the Braves to just the one run while collecting nine strikeouts. The 36-year-old right-hander ends the day with a 3.23 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and a 163/43 K/BB ratio across 136 1/3 innings. He’ll take on the Astros in Philadelphia on Thursday.

Wheeler walked two and gave up a three-run homer to Julio Rodríguez and a two-run homer to Cal Raleigh in the first. He fared better afterwards, but he did walk three more batters (the second of those walks included two balls that would have been overturned had anyone challenged). The fifth, though, saw him give up two more homers right away, with Raleigh going deep for a second time. Wheeler gave up four homers for the third time in his career and five walks for the 11th time. He also walked five against the Jays three starts ago after never having done that since 2019. It’s bizarre to see him struggling like this, but nothing seems especially off. If something is troubling him, it’s not really showing up in his velocity or spin rates. He’s due to face the Angels on Sunday.

Wheeler gave up two hits, walked four and struck out seven. The 36-year-old right-hander got a no-decision and hasn’t won’t a start since July 12 against the Tigers, a span of six starts. He has a 2.92 ERA this season. Wheeler is lined up to face the Mariners next Monday.

The unearned run came in the second after a tough error on Alec Bohm on Jordan Walker’s 106-mph smash to first. The remaining runs all came in the fifth, an inning that featured three singles and two doubles. Wheeler’s last four starts have seen him get roughed up three times and exit after two scoreless innings in the other because of a long rain delay. We still don’t see any reason for panic, though. He’s a fine bet to bounce back next week against the Marlins.

Wheeler racked up six strikeouts on the night, but also issued five walks in the contest. He served up a solo homer to Andres Gimenez in the second inning, then the Jays tacked on single runs in the third fourth and sixth innings against him. The 36-year-old righty got 16 whiffs on 116 pitches in the game, posting a CSW of 25 percent. Even with this off night, Wheeler will carry a mighty impressive 2.69 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and a 132/28 K/BB ratio (110 1/3 innings) into Wednesday’s matchup against the Cardinals in St. Louis.