Zack Wheeler turned in a masterful performance on Friday night for the Philadelphia Phillies against the Miami Marlins. He struck out 13 players and had no walks. It was the first time a Phillies pitcher had that line since Vince Velasquez had 16 strikeouts in 2016. This follows Cristopher Sanchez’s 12 Ks on Thursday night. It is the first time Phillies starters have done that in consecutive games since Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee did it in 2011.
Wheeler’s Dominant Outing
Going into Friday’s start, Wheeler was 1-1 in four starts, with a mild 4.07 ERA, but logged 28 strikeouts in 24.1 innings and only six walks. In his career against the Marlins, he is 11-4 with a 2.73 ERA.
He started the game six-up, and six-down and got some serious run support from his offense. He saw a commanding 6-0 lead by the time he hit the mound in the third. By the end of the third, he had racked up 5 Ks and struck out four in a row. He struck out the side in the 4th and 7th to cap off a career start. He only allowed two runs on five hits with the only blemish a two-run home run to Eric Wagaman in the 6th.
During his outing, all his pitches were on point. He was dotting the fastball wherever he wanted and letting his devastating splitter dance off it. To keep the hitters guessing, he tossed some frisbee sweepers and nasty curveballs. The cherry on top of the cake was his sinker, buckling batters throughout the night.
Phillies Pitching Great
Philladelphia’s pitching has kept them in the fight in a tough National League East. Between Jesús Luzardo, Wheeler, Sanchez, and the surprising return of Taijuan Walker, the Phillies should be able to stay atop the division. They are currently sitting in second place at 12-8, only one game behind the first-place New York Mets.
