TORONTO -- In what was expected to be a pitchers' duel from the outset, Phillies starter Zack Wheeler gave his team a chance to win in a 3-2 loss on Tuesday night at Rogers Centre.
Going up against Blue Jays starter Dylan Cease, Wheeler tossed six innings, allowing one earned run on six hits. He struck out five before giving way to reliever Orion Kerkering in the seventh with the game tied 1-1.
In the ninth inning, second baseman Bryson Stott would give the Phillies a 2-1 lead with an RBI double that scored Bryce Harper from second.
That lead would be short lived, though. In a rare off outing, Jhoan Duran blew his first save of the season in the bottom of the ninth, giving up singles to Jesús Sánchez and Yohendrick Piñango to put runners on the corners to begin the inning. After pinch-runner Daulton Varsho stole second, a wild pitch scored Myles Straw, who pinch ran for Sánchez, before Brandon Valenzuela’s single up the middle delivered the knockout punch.
The 36-year-old Wheeler had to grind through the early parts of the game, needing 22 pitches in the first inning. The second inning saw the Blue Jays put runners on first and second before Wheeler struck out Charles McAdoo to end the threat.
A diving play up the middle by shortstop Trea Turner that resulted in a force out at second and a strong relay on a double by Sánchez down the right-field line helped Wheeler escape the third unscathed.
A clean fourth and fifth were followed by the lone run the Phillies ace would surrender, a solo shot off the bat of Sánchez in the sixth.
The outing came on the heels of Cristopher Sánchez’s latest impressive start, in which he allowed two earned runs over seven innings with 10 strikeouts in a 5-2 victory on Monday night in the opener of the three-game series.
Tuesday night’s performance was the eighth straight start in which Wheeler has thrown at least six innings this season.
Despite allowing only one run, Wheeler acknowledged postgame that he wasn’t at his best.
He also mentioned the mound being a bit damp, which caused him some issues with his back leg spinning out, forcing him to throw with more arm.
“It wasn’t the best, wasn’t the sharpest,” Wheeler said. “Velocity was down just a tick, you kind of take those games and throw them out right away and move on.”
Interim manager Don Mattingly knows how much of a luxury it is to have two pitchers the caliber of Cristopher Sánchez and Wheeler going on consecutive nights against the defending American League champions.
“It’s always good to have Wheels out there,” Mattingly said pregame. “We talk about Sanchie being an ace, but it’s hard to have a true ace if you’re not saying Wheeler is the guy. It’s good to have these guys back-to-back.”
Mattingly wasn’t surprised the game featured so few runs with Wheeler and Cease opposing each other on the mound.
He continues to be impressed with the way his starter can bear down with runners on base.
“I thought Zack was good,” Mattingly said. “I thought he was pretty good right away, honestly. Maybe just a little bit where he wasn’t getting the ball quite where he wanted, but for the most part, anytime Zack’s out there you feel good. Even with guys in scoring position, he’s a guy that’s not giving in, he’s going to keep making pitches.”