In the first start of his career against Zack Wheeler against his former team, the Phillies defeated the Mets to complete a three-point weekend.
The 6-2 win improved the Phillies to 8-9. They are gone Monday before hitting the road for 10 straight games after 16 of the first 17 at Citizens Bank Park.
Wheeler made another strong start full of groundballs. He gave up the lead in the fourth inning before the Phillies restored it for good in the bottom of the sixth on Andrew McCutchen’s two run home run.
The Phillies have been 15-7 against the Mets since the start of last season.
“Our starting pitching has been really good,” said manager Joe Girardi. “I think our offense, the fight in our offense and the ability to come back has been really good. And it seems like we’ve got some sense of where guys are working in the bull. Everyone has the job this weekend and that’s encouraging. “
The Phillies hit .314 in the series. Their starting pitchers have a 3.59 ERA on the season.
Wheeler living on the ground
Wheeler has generated 39 baseballs in four starts. He has a 2.81 ERA and has completed seven innings twice.
The Phillies have so far received exactly what they paid for. Wheeler has not been the strikeout machine, he was the last three seasons when he waved a bat per inning, but he is already so efficient with outs early in counting. He also limited the walks with six in four starts.
The Phillies are 3-1 in Wheeler’s start and have won the last two times that Aaron Nola pitched. That’s the way they put it together with this one-two punch.
Shortly after Wheeler signed with the Phillies, Mets GM Brodie Van Wagenen said in principle that the Mets did not think Wheeler was worth the money.
“The value for what we thought of the investment [was] did not come in line, ”Van Wagenen told Mets reporters in December. “The projections we had for Zack in both the short and long term did not quite match the market he could enjoy.”
Wheeler admitted he felt a little nervous before the game against his old team, but said he did not think about those remarks.
“I’m not trying to prove anyone wrong,” he said. “Some nerves, extra adrenaline, but once you’re on the mound, it’s just another game.”
McCutchen’s game-winner
This was the first time in McCutchen’s first-class career that he had dropped out of the bench. He went the game for Jay Bruce in the fifth inning. Bruce went after feeling something in his left quad.
McCutchen, who typically leads the Phillies, is starting to get off to a slow start. He is 5 for 18 with five RBI over his last five games.
The Phillies’ three- and four-hitters, Bryce Harper and JT Realmuto, have been hot since opening day. If McCutchen and Rhys Hoskins can roll forward, the Phillies have a chance to do some offensive damage.
Hoskins flattened the Phillies’ first run Sunday, and singled in Jean Segura in the first inning.
Segura exists
Segura ran out at the bottom of the seventh inning after injuring his hamstring. It turned out that Segura stepped on the bag while hitting a ball on first base.
Segura has been the Phillies’ best hitter against the Mets the last two seasons. His leadoff triple was his 13th extra-base hit against her in 79 appearances since 2019. He has hit .360 against the Mets as Phillie.
Earlier in the day, Phillies midfielder Roman Quinn placed on the injured list. Quinn experienced minor symptoms of COVID-19 Sunday morning and was told to stay home out of an abundance of caution. Adam Haseley, the Phillies’ other midfielder, is on the IL with a wrist strain.
Scott Kingery started in center for the second straight game Sunday and would have to pass the time there.
Bohm makes a difference
Rookie Alec Bohm has an extra-base hit, an RBI as a run score in each of his four games with the Phillies. His first-pitch RBI single tied the game Sunday and went ahead with the shot of two runs from McCutchen.
Bohm, who had solid striping and walking speeds in the minors, has been aggressive on fields in the striping zone. Pitchers will make some adjustments against him, but he sure seems to hear.
He is 4 for 14 (.286) so far with two doubles. Two of the outs he made were deep, crushed flyouts.
Next
The Phillies are out Monday, as is the following Monday. Those two Mondays and September 9th are their only three days off over the next 5½ weeks.
The Phils are Tuesday and Wednesday in Boston, in Buffalo for a double header with the Blue Jays Thursday, then next weekend in Atlanta.
“We knew we had to come in and run this series,” Wheeler said. “It’s good to go with your whip to your road trip. We’re looking good. We’ll hit the ball, our defense is unbelievable, bullpen is starting to heat up. It’s time to win some games.”
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