Zack Wheeler reared back and uncorked a four-seam fastball to Mets left fielder Brandon Nimmo in the first inning on Saturday that just skimmed the top of the strike zone. Nimmo waved at it, but had no chance. At 99 mph, it was the hardest pitch Wheeler has thrown all season.
Buoyed by the sellout crowd of 45,751 at Citizens Bank Park for Game 1 of the National League Division Series, every pitch in Wheeler’s arsenal trended faster than his season average across seven shutout innings. For 111 pitches, the Phillies’ ace gave everything he had, but it wasn’t enough. Wheeler’s offense and bullpen let him down in a 6-2 loss to the Mets.
“It’s really kind of on us to score enough runs for those guys, because they’ve always kept us in games,” Trea Turner said. “Wheels was perfect tonight. He was great. It [stinks] losing the first one. But there’s still time.”
Following a leadoff homer from Kyle Schwarber in the bottom of the first, the Phillies’ bats fell completely silent. And when Wheeler was lifted for Jeff Hoffman to start the eighth inning with a 1-0 lead, the cracks started to show.
The Phillies needed three pitchers — Hoffman, Matt Strahm, and Orion Kerkering — to get three outs in the eighth while the Mets tagged them for five runs.
“It stings,” Hoffman said. “Definitely want to capitalize on an outing like that. [Wheeler] did everything he could to keep us ahead in that game, and obviously did an unbelievable job.”
Across the first seven innings, Wheeler had allowed only one hit. While he issued four walks and hit one batter, he did not let a runner advance past second. The Mets had no answer for his fastball; they whiffed 30 times on Wheeler’s pitches, including 14 times on his four-seam.
“These fans, and the adrenaline, has a lot to do with it for sure,” Wheeler said. “Anytime it’s loud like that and a lot’s at stake, it’s human nature. I feel like our bodies just want to kind of take over.”
But in the eighth inning alone, the Mets racked up five hits, two apiece off Hoffman and Strahm and another off Kerkering.
“It was stunning, it was, to see Hoffy and Strahmy give it up like that,” manager Rob Thomson said. “But that’s baseball sometimes. They haven’t done that since we’ve had them, really.”
Thomson didn’t think that the five-day layoff had anything to do with the bullpen’s performance, and said that it was more of an issue with execution. Out of Strahm’s 17 pitches to three batters — including a 10-pitch at-bat to José Iglesias — all 17 were strikes. But after getting ahead, Strahm missed his spots and the Mets capitalized.
It didn’t help matters that the Phillies’ lineup, apart from Schwarber, was experiencing a collective power outage in what was functionally a bullpen game for the Mets. Schwarber demolished the third pitch he saw from starter Kodai Senga, sending it to the second deck, and he later singled in the third. But for the first seven innings, he was the only Phillie to record a hit.
New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo celebrates after hitting an RBI single in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Phillies Kody Clemens RBI double in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Phillies third base Alec Bohm slams down his helmet after grounding out with two men on base to end the eight inning in Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Phillies pitcher Jeff Hoffman throws a pitch in the top of the eighth inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Collin Brown of Media reacts to the Phillies performance during the New York Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies MLB National League Division Series playoff game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.Read moreElizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Phillies meet on the mound with pitcher Jeff Hoffman in the top of the eighth inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Phillies meet on the mound with pitcher Jeff Hoffman in the top of the eighth inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Phillies pitcher Jeff Hoffman after giving up an RBI single to tie the game 1-1 in the eighth inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Wilma Abbott of West Deptford prays while Kyle Schwarber bats during the New York Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies MLB National League Division Series playoff game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.Read moreElizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Phillies manager Rob Thomson pulls pitcher Jeff Hoffman in the top of the eighth inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
New York Mets third base Mark Vientos celebrates a run in the eighth inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
New York Mets third base Mark Vientos celebrates a run in the eighth inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Matt Strahm on the mound with catcher J.T. Realmuto, left, and shortstop Trea Turner during a pitching change in the eighth inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler watches the final out of the seventh inning of Game 1 of the NLDS Saturday, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
New York Mets Tyrone Taylor and Brandon Nimmo celebrate Nimmo’s run in the eighth inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
New York Mets outfielder Harrison Bader steals second as Phillies second base Bryson Stott bobbles the ball in the ninth inning of Game 1 of the NLDS Saturday, in Philadelphia.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Phillies bunch in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler throws a sixth inning pitch in Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Phillies Kyle Schwarber breaks a bat on a sacrifice in the fifth inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler talks with catcher J.T. Realmuto after Wheeler hit New York Mets Starling Marte with a pitch in the fifth inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte checks in with staff after being hit by a pitch in the fifth inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Phillies fans wearing pumpkin heads celebrate after the first inning of the New York Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies MLB National League Division Series playoff game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.Read moreElizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Phillies Bryson Stott steals second base in the fourth inning as New York Mets second base Jose Iglesias is left looking in Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Sun and shadows cast on the fans during the third inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Phillies Kyle Schwarber on deck in the third inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Phillies Taijuan Walker watches from the dugout steps in the third inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Phillies Zack Wheeler gives pitcher Zack Wheeler a tap after he makes a catch on a pop up by New York Mets Francisco Lindor in the third inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber Is greeted by teammates at the dugout after hitting a first inning solo home run in Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
New York Mets Pete Alonso strikes out in the second inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper celebrate a first inning solo home run hit by Schwarber ini Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber rounds the bases as he gives a thumbs up after hitting a first inning solo home run in Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber hits a first inning solo home run in Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler walks off of the mound after getting the third out against New York Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo to end the first inning of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Fans cheer during pre-game player introductions ahead of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Former Phillies players from the 1993 team Larry Andersen, right, and Kevin Stocker throw out the ceremonial first pitch ahead of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson and Bryce Harper during player introductions ahead of Game 1 of the NLDS, in Philadelphia.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer
Nicole Capanna of West Deptford (left) and Erin Layton of Paulsboro posed for photos with props provided by the Phillies before the New York Mets vs. Philadelphia Phillies MLB National League Division Series playoff game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.Read moreElizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
“As an offense, we wasted that start,” Harper said. “I think it’s the same thing: Chasing balls in the dirt, didn’t work deep into counts like we should have. We just have to know what they’re gonna try to do to us and focus, and flip a switch as an offense.”
Harper ended that streak with a double in the eighth inning. He advanced to third on a single from Nick Castellanos that brought some life back in the stands, but was stranded there when Alec Bohm grounded out.
Turner, who went 0-for-4, and Castellanos both said that for the first seven innings, it was difficult to pick up the ball out of the pitcher’s hand due to shadows with the 4:08 p.m. start time.
“As soon as the sun kind of went away, the at-bats got a lot better by both sides,” Turner said. “... It’s not fun, but they’re doing the same thing over there. I’ve played quite a few four o’clock postseason games in my career, and it always seems to be the case, and one team wins. So we’ve got to find a way.”
Tanner Banks pitched the ninth and allowed another run on two singles. An RBI double from a pinch-hitting Kody Clemens gave the Phillies a run back in the bottom of the frame, but Schwarber flew out to end the game.
Game 2 is 4:08 p.m. Sunday with Cristopher Sánchez starting against Mets right-hander Luis Severino.
