Phillies' Zack Wheeler pulls off first since 2021 in near perfect game
The Philadelphia Phillies entered Sunday in need of a win over the Cincinnati Reds. As the New York Mets have rebounded in recent days, Philly needed a series win to increase their division lead. Luckily for the Phillies, Zack Wheeler was on the hill. The ace dominated on Sunday, throwing a complete game and nearly reaching baseball immortality.
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'Zack Wheeler delivers a 108-pitch gem for his first complete game since Aug. 8, 2021. A solo homer away from a perfect game,' Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The Phillies won 3-1 after Bryson Stott hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning. Wheeler came back out for the ninth, sat the Reds down in order, and finished the complete game with 107 pitches. The only hit and baserunner was Austin Hays, who hit a solo homer in the fifth inning.
Sunday's win is Wheeler's sixth start in a row with two runs allowed or fewer. His ERA is now 2.17 after the dominant performance, second in the NL to Paul Skenes. The Phillies got the win and the Mets lost, keeping them 1.5 games above the Amazins in the division race.
Wheeler's last complete game came in August of 2021, against his former team. He allowed just two hits in that nine-inning shutout of the Mets that day, securing a 3-0 Phillies win. Wheeler also threw a complete game shutout against the Brewers in that season. He finished the year as the only pitcher with multiple nine-inning shutouts.
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Wheeler will likely end his Sunday by finding out he is a National League All-Star for the third time in his career. The Phillies do not have any other starters on the All-Star team, but could have the starting pitcher. With Paul Skenes getting last year's nod, they could give Wheeler the nod in his home state of Georgia.
Related: Phillies' Rob Thomson gives eye-opening Zack Wheeler take after epic outing vs. Reds
Related: MLB rumors: Phillies eyeing 2 Pirates relievers in trade talks
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