Padres get to Zack Wheeler in Phillies’ 5-4 loss: ‘You’re gonna have days like today’
Wheeler had a rare off day, allowing six hits and four earned runs, the most he's allowed since May 29.
SAN DIEGO — From the beginning of Saturday’s game against the Padres, Zack Wheeler felt a little off.
Wheeler faced San Diego less than two weeks ago, in his start prior to his complete game against the Reds. He had thrown six scoreless innings on that occasion, but facing a lineup twice close together can be a tough task for any pitcher.
“Just wanted to be a little bit more careful today, because I knew I was gonna be aggressive with the fastball, and I knew they were probably looking for it,” Wheeler said.
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Usually, Wheeler is not just any pitcher. But on Saturday, he had a rare off day, allowing six hits and four earned runs in the 5-4 loss to the Padres. It’s the most runs he’s allowed since May 29 against Atlanta.
“Baseball is hard, and some days you’re gonna have days like today, and it stinks,” Wheeler said. “But it is baseball at the end of day, and you’re in the big leagues, so you’ll get hit around a little bit sometimes. And it’s part of it.”
The Phillies offense had opportunities to pick up its ace, out-hitting the Padres 9-8, but left eight runners on base.
Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill, who hadn’t homered since May 27, ended his drought in a big way with two homers off Wheeler. He hit a two-run shot to left field in the second and bashed a solo homer in the sixth.
Both Merrill’s home runs came off four-seams. While the first fastball was over the middle of the plate, the second was elevated above the zone and Merrill was still able to get a barrel on it.
“He likes to swing up there. And you almost have to just play his game and just go a little bit higher,” Wheeler said. “[Pitching coach Caleb Cotham] and J.T. [Reamuto] both said it was a good pitch, but at the same time, it kind of wasn’t a good pitch, just because you got to play his game and go higher than high.”
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Wheeler didn’t think that pitching a complete game adversely affected him. He said he felt strong and the velocity of his pitches trended about normal.
After a long second inning when the Padres scored three runs on four hits, Wheeler said he made an adjustment in the third and started to be more aggressive. He was able to hold off San Diego until Merrill’s second homer, and finished six innings.
The winning run scored in the seventh on Jordan Romano, who was pitching for the first time since giving up a historic walk-off, inside-the-park home run in Tuesday’s loss to the San Francisco Giants. He inherited runners on the corners from Tanner Banks and gave up a sacrifice fly to Manny Machado to right field that allowed Fernando Tatís Jr. to score easily.
Once again, the Phillies failed to get anything going against the Padres’ bullpen. All four of their runs came off starter Yu Darvish.
Alec Bohm was hit by a pitch in the second, and initially remained in the game to open the scoring in a two-run inning. He was ultimately removed in the fourth with a bruised left rib cage and was replaced with Edmundo Sosa.
“I think it’s pretty sore right now. We didn’t get an MRI or anything, but it’s pretty sore, and looked like it may have affected his swing,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. He added that the team would check out Bohm on Sunday but he is doubtful to play.
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Edmundo Sosa came up big with the bases loaded in the fifth inning, lacing a single to left field that scored two runs. It marked his first hit of the season after entering the game as a substitution. Otto Kemp had a pinch-hit single in the eighth to put the tying run on third, but Brandon Marsh popped out to end the inning.
Wheeler decided earlier this week not to pitch in the All-Star Game, and will have an extended time off before his next start to prepare for the rest of the season.
“The break is always nice, no matter when it is,” Wheeler said. “It’s the heat of summer, and things finally might be catching up to you a little bit. So I mean, it’s nice to have a few days off, and do a little reset, and get ready to go for the second half push.”