Wheeler takes jab at Acuña after his 9-K gem bolsters Phils in NL East race

PHILADELPHIA -- Is Zack Wheeler fully back?

Well, if what he did in the fifth inning of Saturday night's 4-2 win over the Braves -- or what Wheeler said afterward -- is any indication, then the answer is an emphatic yes.

At the very least, that classic edge that Wheeler pitches with was on full display both during his showdown against Ronald Acuña Jr. and in his postgame comments.

It wasn't just that Wheeler got Acuña swinging to strike out the side in the fifth, but it was everything that led up to it.

Acuña had already taken Wheeler deep two innings earlier, smashing a Statcast-projected 450-foot bomb that the Braves superstar made sure to thoroughly enjoy. He took his time getting out of the box before embarking on a lengthy trot around the bases that elicited a cascade of boos from the Philadelphia faithful.

“It doesn't really bother me all that much,” Wheeler said before delving a bit further. “He can do whatever he wants. He hit a home run, so it's up to him to do what he wants.”

And then came the zinger.

“Our guy just rounds the bases -- who hits 50 here,” Wheeler said, “but he can do whatever he wants.”

That last jab, of course, was a comparison to Kyle Schwarber, who hit his MLB-leading 41st homer just one inning later.

As for Acuña, when he stepped back into the box against Wheeler in the fifth, the sellout crowd at Citizens Bank Park again made itself known. The fans reacted to each and every pitch as Wheeler got ahead, 1-2, before Acuña worked the count full.

“You feed off of it,” Wheeler acknowledged. “I knew going into that at-bat, it was going to be a big at-bat -- and the crowd definitely helped me out.”

Acuña fouled off back-to-back pitches that just narrowly escaped the grasp of catcher J.T. Realmuto to stay alive. Wheeler's eighth pitch was a perfectly placed 96.6 mph fastball on the outside corner that Acuña swung through for strike three.

It was the type of pitch that has mostly eluded Wheeler for more than a month. It was also the best indication on a night full of them that he truly is working his way out of his worst stretch as a Phillie.

“It gives you a little more motivation,” Wheeler said of Acuña’s reaction to the homer. “I really wanted to strike him out right there and kind of get him back, so to speak.”

Acuña's swing-and-miss was one of 19 whiffs induced by Wheeler, his most since July 21 against the Dodgers -- his last start before things took a turn for the worse. He got 10 of those whiffs with his four-seamer (matching a season high for the pitch) and another seven with his splitter.

Overall, Wheeler struck out nine while allowing just three hits and a pair of walks. He turned in six innings of one-run ball for a second straight start after putting up a 8.51 ERA over his previous six outings.

This was also the second straight start in which Wheeler loaded the bases with nobody out in the first inning. Last time, he limited the damage to one run. This time, he escaped completely unscathed.

Wheeler then settled in a bit in the second before giving up the homer to Acuña in the third. From the moment Acuña touched home plate -- 29.5 seconds after the ball left his bat -- Wheeler seemed to flip a switch.

"After that, it was pretty spectacular, lights out," Schwarber said. "That's the Wheeler that we all know. Every time he takes that rock, you feel like you're going to get a performance like that."

It was exactly the kind of night the Phillies (80-62) needed as they cut the Braves’ (84-58) lead in the National League East back to four games. They also remained a half-game behind the Cubs (81-62) for the first NL Wild Card spot, though Chicago has clinched the head-to-head tiebreaker.

“We're close to them, and every game matters, especially against them,” Wheeler said. “It can swing pretty quick. We know where we're at and we know where they're at, and where we're trying to be. So every game matters, especially against these guys.”