Phils' four-run sixth can't overcome Wheeler, Duran's atypical outings
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PHILADELPHIA -- Zack Wheeler wasn’t himself on Monday night at loanDepot park.
The Phillies hope it was just a bad night and nothing more.
Wheeler allowed six hits, five runs, one walk and two home runs in just three innings in a 8-7 walk-off loss to the Marlins, who snapped a franchise-record 12-game losing streak. He struck out six. It was his shortest start since April 17, 2022. It was the first time he allowed five runs in a game since May 29, 2025.
Bad nights happen to everybody, but what made Wheeler’s start concerning was that his stuff was down across the board. His four-seam fastball averaged only 93.5 mph, down 1.7 mph from his season average.
It was the second-lowest four-seam average in any start in Wheeler's career. It averaged a career-low 93.1 mph on April 3, 2024.
Wheeler allowed a leadoff single to Otto Lopez, who scored on a stolen base and double error from J.T. Realmuto and Trea Turner to make it 1-0. Heriberto Hernández then hit a solo homer to left field on a 93.2 mph sinker to make it 2-0.
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Wheeler allowed a solo homer to Griffin Conine on a 0-1 curveball to start the second. He later allowed a double to Jakob Marsee and a triple to Lopez to give the Marlins a 5-2 lead.
It was the first time Wheeler had allowed five runs in the first two innings of a game since June 2, 2023, in Washington.
Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly, head athletic trainer Paul Buchheit and others huddled together after the second inning to presumably discuss Wheeler’s first two innings. After Wheeler pitched a scoreless third inning, Mattingly dipped into the tunnel in the visitors’ dugout to tell Wheeler his night was finished.
Wheeler’s ERA jumped from 2.16 to 2.53.
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But the Phillies came back. They scored four runs in the sixth inning to take a 6-5 lead. J.T. Realmuto’s double scored a run. He then scored the go-ahead run on a throwing error from Hernández in left field.
Realmuto’s sacrifice fly in the eighth made it 7-5, but it didn’t hold. Phillies closer Jhoan Duran blew his second save of the season. They were the first runs he had allowed since June 9.