Phillies snap 10-game losing streak behind Zack Wheeler, and some extra-inning heroics vs. Braves

ATLANTA — Rafael Marchán caught Zack Wheeler’s first major-league pitch in 253 days, peeked at the velocity reading on the scoreboard — 95 mph — and had one thought.

“The man,” he said, “is back.”

And under normal circumstances, that would’ve been enough for the Phillies. Given all that Wheeler went through since last August — the blood clot near his shoulder, the diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome, surgery to remove a rib and relieve a compressed vein — just seeing their ace on the mound in a game here Saturday night would’ve qualified as a win.

» READ MORE: Dave Dombrowski is ‘responsible’ for this reeling Phillies roster. And these decisions helped get them here.

Except that the Phillies hadn’t actually won — as in outscoring their opponent — in 12 days. The Skid had reached 10 games, their longest losing spell in 27 years. Somehow, incredibly, they needed more than renewed fastball velocity over five solid innings from Wheeler.

They needed three triples, including one from Kyle Schwarber after the center fielder fell down. They needed four RBIs from Bryce Harper, including a tiebreaking two-run single through the left side with the bases loaded in a four-run 10th inning.

And then, after an 8-5 victory over the Braves through a steady rain, they almost needed to be reminded of how to celebrate.

“Slapping hands and slapping butts, man,” Harper said after going from the handshake line to a music-filled clubhouse.

As the 10th-inning rally unfolded, Wheeler watched from the trainer’s room. He had company. The Phillies used six pitchers, from Wheeler to lefty Kyle Backhus.

“We all joked around and just yelled and stuff like that, so yeah, it was fun,” Wheeler said. “Any time you win a ballgame it’s fun, especially after losing 10.”

If Wheeler didn’t have enough on his plate, including doubts about whether he’d recover his heater that didn’t come back during a five-start minor-league assignment, he took the burden of being the stopper. He had time to think about it. The start of the game was pushed back 56 minutes by rain.

“It’s always kind of been my thing over the years is, if we are in a little slump, I want to be the stopper,” Wheeler said. “Even if it’s two [losses] in a row, I want to be that guy. I love being in that situation. You take pride in it.”

That isn’t new. But here’s a newsflash: The Phillies scored four runs in the 10th inning without hitting a home run. Trea Turner and Schwarber drew walks to load the bases. Harper singled the other way. And Brandon Marsh followed two batters later with a two-run single.

“That’s what makes a good baseball team,” Harper said.

Still, nothing mattered more than Wheeler, who declared his return with 96.5 mph octane to strike out Braves leadoff-hitting star Ronald Acuña Jr. He noticed the velocity reading on a scoreboard above home plate.

» READ MORE: What is Zack Wheeler facing in his return from surgery? We asked two pitchers who have done it.

“Cool,” he said.

Said Marchán: “The heater was pumping, the way that it used to be.”

Harper said Braves hitters noted the same thing when they reached first base, notably that Wheeler’s signature elevated fastball looked the same as before his surgery.

There were other moments. Wheeler got the first nine outs on only 35 pitches. He spun sweepers to offset his fastball, which jumped up from a 92.9 mph average in five starts on his minor-league assignment to 94.7. He got 15 swings and misses.

Was he just playing possum with the lower velocity?

“No, it’s just, that’s why you kind of take rehab games with a grain of salt,” Wheeler said. “Once you get up here, it’s a different game. The adrenaline’s going. Things matter. And we lost 10 games in a row, so I mean, you’ve just got to go out there and just do it.”

The Braves worked over Wheeler in the fourth inning. Staked to a 2-0 lead on RBI triples by Adolis García and Bryson Stott, Wheeler threw 36 pitches and gave up two runs. But he also left the go-ahead run on third base.

“I’m not gonna lie, I was a little tired,” Wheeler said later. “Treading water out there. I got a little second wind, and I was able to go out there for the fifth.”

And after Harper restored a 3-2 lead on a two-out single up the middle, Wheeler pitched a scoreless inning to turn it over to the bullpen.

Throughout most of his rehab, Wheeler insisted that he would make it back at the same level that he left, even though there are few success stories in coming back from thoracic outlet syndrome.

But after completing the journey, he conceded the emotion of it all. He reflected. He thanked his wife, Dominque, and their children. He expressed gratitude to teammates and staff that “kept me feeling welcomed.” Then, he shouted out head athletic trainer Paul Buchheit, who worked with him in Philadelphia in the offseason.

“He’s missing time from his family,” Wheeler said. “It means a lot to me. He helped me grind through that and get me back out there.

“You think about this moment. I just wanted to get it over with, just keep moving on. I’m glad it’s done, especially when you come out of the game, kind of get that weight off your shoulders.

“But it’s just the unknown. Going into it, you never know. You hear a lot of bad stories when [thoracic outlet syndrome] happens. You don’t hear a lot of good.”

During the rain delay, the Red Sox announced the firing of manager Alex Cora, hired in Boston by Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. Cora and Dombrowski are still close.

Imagine, then, if the Phillies lost again. Inevitable speculation about Cora eventually replacing manager Rob Thomson would’ve only been amplified.

For now, at least, it will be muted.

“It was a good win,” Thomson said. “We played well, and it was great to see Wheeler do what he did and have the velocity that he had and the command that he had. We kept fighting and clawing.”

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