Zack Wheeler continues to dominate as Phillies beat Red Sox originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Memorial Day checkpoint is a week away, and so far, Zack Wheeler has been the Phillies’ best player in 2021.
He shut the Red Sox down on Sunday afternoon after being provided four first-inning runs of support in a 6-2 Phillies win.
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Wheeler allowed a leadoff single and then cruised, retiring 17 in a row with eight strikeouts. Even that leadoff single from Kiké Hernandez should have been an out. It was a bloop to shallow right field that had a 95% catch probability, according to Statcast.
Wheeler didn't encounter a jam until the sixth inning when he got the first two batters before Hernandez singled and Danny Santana walked. The dangerous Rafael Devers struck out on a high heater to end the inning.
Wheeler's final line: 7⅓ IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 12 K.
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The 12 strikeouts tied a career-high from eight seasons ago.
The Red Sox lone run came on Franchy Cordero's 474-foot solo home run to start the seventh. It certainly helped that Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez were out of Boston's lineup, but Wheeler has dominated each of his last four opponents, allowing three runs and 21 baserunners in 29⅓ innings with 36 strikeouts and a strike rate of better than 70%. The Phillies have won all four.
In 21 starts as a Phillie, Wheeler has a 2.54 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 145 innings. He continues to earn the $23.6 million a year on his contract and has reached that next level much of the baseball world thought he'd find. His ERA as a Phillie has been more than a run lower than his mark with the Mets.
He’s been especially tough early in games in these 21 starts, with a 1.29 ERA and .194 opponents’ batting average in the first three innings. Give him early run support and he's hard to beat.
Miller’s three-run homer, the 99th of his career, came with two outs in the first against Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez. Miller was starting in right field for slumping Bryce Harper, who had the day off.
Rhys Hoskins was key in the opening frame with a two-out RBI single and a stolen base. Rodriguez had Alec Bohm behind in the count when Hoskins swiped the bag and then walked Bohm to set the table for Miller.
Odubel Herrera, batting second, reached base four times. He doubled twice, drove in a run, singled, was hit by a pitch and stole a base. He's hit .368 over his last 17 games.
The Phillies salvaged the weekend with a win but have lost three consecutive series (Blue Jays, Marlins, Red Sox). They are 23-24, tied with the Braves for second place in the NL East and 1½ games behind the Mets.
The Phils now head to Miami for a four-game series Monday through Thursday. They’re off Friday, then play two in Tampa and three in Cincinnati.
Here are the pitching matchups for the Marlins series:
Monday night at 6:40: Zach Eflin (2-3, 3.77) vs. LHP Trevor Rogers (6-2, 1.74)
Tuesday night at 6:40: Vince Velasquez (1-0, 3.52) vs. Sandy Alcantara (2-3, 3.63)
Wednesday night at 6:40: Aaron Nola (3-4, 3.94) vs. TBA
Thursday afternoon at 12:10: Spencer Howard (0-1, 7.36) vs. Pablo Lopez (1-3, 2.73)
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