CINCINNATI -- Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly announced the team’s first five All-Stars during a pregame meeting on Saturday in Kansas City.
He revealed Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Cristopher Sánchez, Jhoan Duran and Brandon Marsh, in that order. Teammates applauded each one. Then Mattingly said, “I know I feel like there’s some other guys that should have made it, but we’re only going to get so many.”
“Other guy” Zack Wheeler dominated the Reds in a 4-1 victory on Tuesday night at Great American Ball Park to move the Phillies within two games of the Braves in the NL East. Wheeler allowed four hits, one run and tied a career-high 14 strikeouts in seven innings. He is just the sixth pitcher in franchise history with 14 or more strikeouts and no walks in a game, joining Vince Velasquez (April 14, 2016), Cliff Lee (Sept. 16, 2013), Curt Schilling (Sept. 1, 1997), Terry Mulholland (June 4, 1993) and Jim Bunning (June 7, 1966).
He is 9-1 this season with a 2.28 ERA.
Mattingly said before Tuesday’s game that he was surprised Wheeler did not make the All-Star team. Others were, too.
“I've talked about it a little bit,” Mattingly said. “Wheels does not get the attention nationally. Even like [Bryce Harper], right? Harp, you're around long enough and you're good every year, you start to always [say], ‘Oh, who's the next new thing? What's the next new thing happening?’ And those guys get a lot of attention, and they probably deserve it, which is fine. But you start to forget about those guys a little bit, because they're not on the tip of your tongue. They’re not on the tip of MLB Tonight and things like that.
“So, I do think those guys get overlooked. And then at the end of their careers, everybody starts to recognize again, like, ‘Man, this guy's had an unbelievable career.’”
The most likely explanation for Wheeler’s absence is that, because he is pitching Sunday in Detroit -- the final game before the All-Star break -- he would not be available to pitch in Tuesday’s All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park. In the recent past, the league has selected only pitchers who can pitch in the game, including Phillies left-hander Jesús Luzardo, who was named as an All-Star replacement on Tuesday.
Mattingly was asked if he thought Wheeler might pitch with an edge on Tuesday. He smiled.
“I don't know, I hope so,” he said. “If he's good with an edge, I hope he's pitching with an edge. If he likes to be nice and calm, then I hope he's calm.”
Kyle Schwarber crushed a two-run home run to right-center field in the third inning to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead. It was his 31st homer of the season.