PHILADELPHIA – Phillies ace Zack Wheeler is pitching with an edge, and it’s working.
He might as well keep going with it.
“Yeah, why not?” Wheeler said following Tuesday night’s 2-1 loss to the Dodgers at Citizens Bank Park. “So, you know, just find a way. That's the biggest thing. It's a long season, tons of starts. You’ve got to pick your battles and just try to go out there and do well every time.”
Wheeler allowed two runs in seven innings. He allowed five hits and struck out nine. His only mistake: a first-pitch cutter to Max Muncy, who hit a two-run home run to center field in the fourth inning.
Wheeler (10-2, 2.16 ERA) retired 11 of the final 12 batters he faced, striking out seven of them. Wheeler had struck out 74 batters in 75 1/3 innings in his first 12 starts this season, following thoracic outlet surgery in September.
He has struck out 43 in 24 2/3 innings in his past four.
“You do see stuff like that,” Wheeler said. “You know, maybe my strikeout numbers aren't what they have been in my career per game, so I do see that and I wanted to get that back up. I'm not going to lie to you. And maybe with two strikes, I make a little more concerted effort to punch a guy out or take care of the pitch a little bit better maybe so they don't put it in play.”
Wheeler has pitched angry this month because he was not initially named to the National League All-Star team. Then, when MLB approached him about being a replacement, he declined because he said he felt disrespected.
Wheeler’s ire could benefit the Phillies, and perhaps push him into NL Cy Young Award contention.
Wheeler entered Tuesday with 4.7 WAR per Baseball Reference, second among all Major League pitchers behind only teammate Cristopher Sánchez (5.5). Wheeler’s 2.8 WAR per FanGraphs is tied for 14th in baseball, although it’s fourth best since his season debut in Atlanta on April 25.
Wheeler not only has returned from a career-threatening surgery in September, he immediately resumed being one of the best pitchers in baseball. He hit 100 innings on Tuesday. He could start to qualify for the ERA title as early as his next start.
Unfortunately for Wheeler, Dodgers left-hander Justin Wrobleski more than matched him, allowing one run in 6 1/3 innings. It is the 23rd time this season the Phillies have scored one run or none, which is the second most in baseball.
Wheeler struck out Muncy swinging on a 3-2 cutter just a tad off the outer half of the plate in the second inning. He threw the same pitch in almost the same spot in the fourth.
“Maybe not the best pitch in that situation, just because we got him on it a couple different times in that first at-bat,” Wheeler said. “He probably went up there saying, ‘He got me on this.’ He was probably just ready for it. So it wasn't up, it wasn't down, it was mid-thigh. So I could have taken care of it a little bit better. But he’s a good hitter. He’s been around for a long time because of that.”