Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Available in relief for Game 7
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Wheeler will be available out of the bullpen for Game 7 of the NLCS against the Diamondbacks on Tuesday, Tim Healey of Newsday reports.
It'll be all hands on deck for the Phillies in Game 7, and Wheeler will be ready in relief if skipper Rob Thomson calls his name. Wheeler fired 99 pitches in Saturday's Game 5, but as Healey notes, Tuesday would be his between-starts bullpen day, so he'll likely be available for an inning.
Wheeler allowed one run on five hits across 6.2 innings to secure the win in Tuesday's 4-1 victory over the Marlins in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series. He struck out eight.
Wheeler was dominant in this outing, as he made quick work of the Marlins lineup, racking up 18 whiffs in the process. His sole mistake was allowing an RBI single to Bryan De La Cruz in the seventh inning that was set up by a defensive miscue when Wheeler forgot to cover first base. The right-hander thrives under pressure, as he now has a mint 2.55 ERA and 0.73 WHIP with 41 strikeouts across 42.1 career postseason innings.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Gets ball for Game 1
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Wheeler is starting Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series against the Marlins on Tuesday.
Wheeler had a 3.29 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 47 strikeouts in 41 innings over his final seven starts of the season. He will pitch opposite Jesus Luzardo.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Cedes one run in loss
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Wheeler allowed one run on four hits and one walk across four innings in Thursday's 3-2 loss to the Pirates. He struck out five and took a no-decision.
Wheeler threw only 67 pitches in this contest, as he likely earned time to recover in advance of the playoffs. Nonetheless, he made the most of his shorter outing by racking up 13 whiffs. The right-hander has put together another fine season, pitching to a 3.61 ERA and 1.08 WHIP across 192 innings with a milestone 212 strikeouts.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Collects 13th win
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Wheeler (13-6) picked up the win in Saturday's 7-5 victory over the Mets, giving up five runs (three earned) on eight hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out six.
The right-hander fired an efficient 99 pitches and generated 30 called or swinging strikes, but Wheeler faded late and nearly squandered the Phillies' lead by allowing three runs in the seventh inning. He held on for his fourth straight winning decision, and over that six-outing stretch he's posted a 3.41 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 42:8 K:BB through 37 innings while delivering five quality starts. Wheeler lines up to take the mound once more in the regular season -- a rematch with the Mets in New York next weekend -- but with the Phillies all but locked into the top wild-card spot in the NL, he could make an early exit to get a bit of extra rest ahead of the postseason.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Picks up 12th win
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Wheeler (12-6) yielded one run on three hits and two walks over six innings Monday, striking out five and earning a win over Atlanta.
After allowing a solo homer to Ozzie Albies in the first inning, Wheeler retired 10 straight batters and cruised to a quality start. Wheeler is 3-0 with a 3.30 ERA over his last five starts and has 11 quality starts in his last 13 trips to the mound. He dropped his season ERA to 3.63 with a 201:37 K:BB through 30 appearances. His next outing is currently projected to be at home against the Mets this weekend.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Allows six runs to Atlanta
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Wheeler did not factor into the decision Tuesday, allowing six runs on seven hits and three walks over five innings in a 7-6 loss to Atlanta. He struck out four.
Even the 33-year-old ace wasn't impervious to Atlanta's vaunted offense, yielding home runs of the solo, two-run and three-run varieties. It was the first time this season that Wheeler has allowed more than two homers in a start. He had been on a roll in his previous three starts, giving up just four earned runs across 19 innings with an awe-inspiring 27:2 K:BB during that stretch. However, Tuesday's poor performance inflated the righty's season-long ERA to 3.70, the highest in his four years in Philadelphia. Wheeler currently lines up for a road rematch with Atlanta early next week.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Blanks San Diego
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Wheeler (11-6) earned the win Wednesday, allowing just one hit and two walks over six scoreless innings against the Padres. He struck out seven.
A Manny Machado single in the fourth inning was the lone hit against Wheeler on Monday, who's now gone six or more innings in 11 consecutive starts. The 33-year-old right-hander lowered his ERA to 3.49 through 28 starts (170 innings) this season with a 1.05 WHIP and 192 strikeouts, sixth most in the league. Wheeler will look to keep rolling in his next start, currently scheduled for next week against Atlanta.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Quality start versus Brewers
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Wheeler did not factor into the decision Friday, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out 10 batters in the Phillies' 7-5 loss to the Brewers.
Wheeler tossed three scoreless frames to open his outing before Willy Adames took him deep for a three-run shot in the bottom of the fourth, accounting for all the damage against him. The right-hander has now reached 10 punchouts in back-to-back starts and he has allowed three or fewer runs in nine of his last 10 outings. Overall on the season, Wheeler owns a 3.62 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with 185 strikeouts over 164 innings in 27 starts.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Breezes in 10th victory
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Wheeler (10-6) earned the win over St. Louis on Saturday, allowing one run on three hits and no walks while striking out 10 batters over seven innings.
Wheeler served up Luken Baker's first MLB homer in the third frame, but that was the only run the Cardinals managed against him. The veteran hurler finished with his fourth double-digit strikeout effort of the campaign and completed exactly seven innings for his third straight start. Wheeler has been invaluable to the Phillies for his ability to go deep into contests of late -- he hasn't completed fewer than six frames in any of his nine starts since July 1. Among NL hurlers, he's tied for seventh with 158 innings pitched and ranks sixth with 175 strikeouts on the campaign.
Wheeler (9-6) allowed four runs on seven hits and a walk over seven innings Sunday, striking out five and taking a loss against the Nationals.
While his final line wasn't great, Wheeler tossed six shutout frames after Washington plated four runs in the first inning. He gave up five straight hits to open the contest but followed that with 11 straight outs. It was the first time he allowed more than three runs in an outing since July 1. Wheeler saw his season ERA climb to 3.70 with a 165:30 K:BB through 151 innings. His next start is lined up to be at home against the Cardinals.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Settles for quality start Tuesday
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Wheeler came away with a no-decision Tuesday in the Phillies' 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays, allowing one run on three hits and four walks over seven inning. He struck out five.
Despite setting a season high in free passes, Wheeler was rarely in much danger -- Toronto didn't even get a runner past second base until the sixth inning. The right-hander extended his quality start streak to seven outings, a stretch in which he's posted a 2.76 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 48:7 K:BB through 45.2 innings. Wheeler will look to make it eight in a row when he next makes the mound, which is likely to come at home early next week against the Giants.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Nabs ninth win
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Wheeler (9-5) picked up the win in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Nationals, giving up three runs on seven hits over six innings. He struck out six without walking a batter.
The right-hander fell behind 3-0 through three innings on homers by Keibert Ruiz and Lane Thomas, but Kyle Schwarber quickly answered back with a pair of long balls of his own, and Wheeler stiffened once his offense got rolling. He's reeled off six straight quality starts, posting a 3.03 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and dazzling 43:3 K:BB through 38.2 innings over that stretch as he works to keep the Phillies pointed toward the playoffs. Wheeler will look to extend his QS streak to seven in his next outing, likely to come at home this weekend against the Twins.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Settles for quality start
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Wheeler came away with a no-decision Wednesday in the Phillies' 9-8 extra-innings loss to the Marlins, giving up two runs on five hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out four.
The right-hander blanked Miami for five frames before fading in the sixth and serving up back-to-back homers to Josh Bell and Jazz Chisholm, but Wheeler still left the mound with his team up 5-2. A disastrous group effort by the Philly bullpen ensured he wouldn't collect his ninth win of the season, however. Wheeler has reeled off five straight quality starts, posting a 2.76 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and dazzling 37:3 K:BB through 32.2 innings over that stretch, but he's gone only 1-1 thanks to inconsistent run and bullpen support. He'll try to get back in the win column in his next outing, likely to come at home early next week against the Nationals.
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Phillies' Zack Wheeler: Eleven strikeouts in eighth win
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Wheeler (8-5) earned the win Friday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over 6.2 innings against the Pirates. He struck out 11.
Wheeler completed at least six innings for a fourth straight game and recorded his third outing of the season with at least 11 strikeouts. The right-hander hasn't been perfect this year, but he sports a solid 3.74 ERA and a stellar 145:24 K:BB across 21 starts (125 innings). Wheeler is under contract through 2024, but if he keeps pitching like he has recently (33:2 K:BB over last four appearances), the 33-year-old could start thinking about another long-term deal soon.
