The Phillies rode Zack Wheeler’s power arm and Didi Gregorius, Phil Gosselin and JT Realmuto’s power bats for their first win of the new season on Saturday night.
Wheeler shot seven one-inning balls and Gregorius (solo homer), Gosselin (two-run shot, solo shot) and Realmuto (three-run shot) all homered in the 7-1 win over the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park.
Gosselin, a public service man who formed the team with a barrage of late punches at summer camp, started out as a designated hitter. He walked his first time, hit his second time and homered his third time to break a 1-1 tie in the sixth. He homered in the eighth to give the Phils a six-run lead.
All seven of the Phils’ runs came on home runs.
Gosselin, 31, hails from West Chester and played at Malvern Prep and the University of Virginia. He played in 44 games with the Phillies, his fifth major league club, last season. The multi-homer game was the first of his career. He entered the day with just seven career home runs in 597 major league at-bats.
Two games in the 60 game sprint, the Phils are 1-1.
Helluva’s debut
Wheeler brings great power to the Phillies’ rotation. His 87th shot and end of the day was a 97 mph fastball for a strikeout in the seventh inning. Someone at the Phillies’ shelter yelled, “That’s how it’s done, Wheels!” as she left the mound after the punch.
Wheeler allowed five hits, one run, walked two and struck out four.
Wheeler was able to start because her newborn son Wesley arrived on Monday, five days earlier.
Off the hook
The Phillies’ offense was slow. It allowed Miami starter Caleb Smith to break free of the first innings. Smith walked six batters in the first three innings and the Phillies could only muster a single run on a starting Gregorius home run in the bottom of the second. Smith walked three batters in that inning, but the Phillies did nothing with that generosity. Smith came out of the inning striking out Bryce Harper looking at a 2-2 smashing ball with the bases loaded.
Harper had his first hit of the season in the seventh and was on base for Realmuto’s first hit of the season, which was a three-run homer out of the batter’s eye in the center. Harper’s hit was a single touch on the third base line against a turn.
Good game
Moments after the Phillies took a 3-1 lead on Gosselin’s two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth, the Marlins tested Andrew McCutchen’s defense in left field. Left-handed hitter Corey Dickerson connected a cut line to the left field line. McCutchen made a good jump and made a major sliding catch to keep the leader off the base in the seventh and help Wheeler stop a closing inning.
McCutchen missed four months last season with an LCA break. It may not be moving as smoothly as before, but it closes the gap with great reads and jumps.
Shortstop Gregorius made a good play until the end of the eighth and got Tommy Hunter out of trouble.
The defense of the Phils was very good. Wheeler kept the ball on the ground and benefited from four double plays that ended the inning.
Vinny is real?
Vince Velásquez earned a spot in the starting rotation by pitching very well during summer camp. He showed a new cut fastball and an improved shift to go with his four-seam fastball and his curved ball. Now, it’s time to see if Velásquez can put everything together when things count. The series finale will begin Sunday afternoon against Marlins right-hander José Ureña.
Velasquez has been in and out of the Phillies’ rotation for four seasons. It’s time for him to prove that he can keep his pitch count under control, beat the intermediate innings, and show some consistency. In a 60 game season where each game is magnified, the Phillies cannot afford to have a long leash with Velasquez and must quickly block his role because top prospect Spencer Howard is waiting in the wings.
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