Wheeler, Harper lead Phillies to two wins for one originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
MILWAUKEE — There are few feelings better for a manager in need of a win than getting his ace’s name on the scoresheet, and there hasn’t been an ace in baseball over the past five seasons who has delivered a performance as consistent or as dominant as Zack Wheeler.
Start after start, month after month, year after year, Wheeler showed up when the Phillies I needed him. Sometimes it was to stop a skid. Sometimes it was to extend a winning streak. Sometimes it was to set the tone for a series. Sometimes it was to win a series.
Wheeler led the Phillies to a 5-1 victory Tuesday night, a huge result because it was effectively two wins for the price of one, extending their lead over the Brewers to five games — four plus the tiebreaker.
The victory gave the Phillies the season series win. MilwaukeeThey are 91-60 and lead the Brewers by five games with 11 to play, positioning the Phils extremely well to earn at least a top-two spot and a first-round bye in the playoffs.
The Phils also regained the upper hand on the The Dodgerswho surprisingly lost a slugfest in MiamiThey are three games ahead of the Dodgers for first place in the playoff standings – two games plus the tiebreaker.
Bryce Harper made Wheeler a winner with a two-run opposite-field home run Frankie Montas in the sixth inning of a tied game. It was Harper’s third goal in four games and 29th of the season.
Nick Castellanos He scored his first run in the top of the second inning, with a first-pitch home run to center, his 21st of the season. It was a good sign for a player who had hit .178 in his last 13 games and .114 in September against starting pitchers.
The Brewers were held in check most of the night by Wheeler. He pitched seven innings of one-run ballworked forward, missed bats, threw his four-seamer just above the zone for called strikes and whiffs, froze hitters with two-seamers, induced weak contact…did everything he usually does.
The only inning where Milwaukee posed a threat was in the bottom of the fourth when William Contreras single and Garrett Mitchell He managed to triple his shot with one out. Wheeler threw out the next batter, Willy Adameson three pitches and ended the inning with a flyout to right.
Wheeler is 16-6 with a 2.56 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 30 starts. He has allowed the lowest hits and runners on base percentage in the National League. He has struck out 205 batters and walked 49 in 186⅔ innings. It was his best regular season as a Phillie.
He’s probably still a Cy Young finalist to this day. Chris Salewho is 17-3 with a 2.35 ERA and 219 strikeouts, which leads the National League in every category. But if Sale gets a few more starts like this in his last two starts and Wheeler gives the Phillies two more like this, the numbers and the run will even out.
In addition to having Wheeler on the mound, manager Rob Thomson also knew he was working with a rested bullpen. Matt Strahm had not launched since last Wednesday, Carlos Estevez and Jeff Hoffman since Saturday or Orion Kerkering since Sunday. They are the Phillies’ four main relievers, all posting earned run averages between 1.76 and 2.03.
Wheeler returned the ball to the bullpen with a three-run lead after Kyle Schwarber added insurance in the seventh inning with a single in the comeback Edmundo Sosa. Trea Turner produced another in the top of the ninth with a two-out single after Johan Rojas walked and stole second place.
The Phillies are 9-2 this season against the Dodgers and Brewers, the teams with the second and third best records. They are 23-10 against the other five teams currently in playoff position in the National League, with the second-best record belonging to the Padres at 20-20.
Wednesday night offers a chance to win a series and for Aaron Nola to find a rhythm heading into the playoffs after allowing 11 runs in his last nine innings.
