Zack Wheeler, Phillies shake off rough start to complete sweep of Angels
Wheeler turned in six innings for the first time in over a month as he posted a solid start. The Phillies' offense saw another go-ahead home run from Edmundo Sosa to pull off the sweep in Anaheim.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — One fastball missed in. Another missed low, and a third missed way high.
As Zack Wheeler issued a leadoff walk to Angels outfielder Wade Meckler to start Sunday afternoon’s series finale, it appeared his recent troubles with command were back in full force. And when Los Angeles loaded the bases before he could secure an out, things already teetered on disaster.
But Wheeler found a way to battle back. It helped that Moisés Ballesteros chased a splitter down and outside to end a seven-pitch at-bat with a grounder to shortstop. So did the fact that Trea Turner was in the perfect position to field it, touch second, and fire to first for a key double play.
The Phillies conceded one run, but the first inning suddenly seemed much more manageable. And that turned out to be the only run Wheeler allowed as he went on to complete six innings of the 5-2 win over the Angels. Backed by another go-ahead home run from Edmundo Sosa, the Phillies pulled off the sweep in Anaheim.
It wasn’t exactly perfect. Wheeler didn’t appear to have much command of his splitter throughout, and he issued three total walks. But he turned in six innings for the first time in over a month as he posted a solid start to build upon, outside of the first three batters of the game.
Wheeler allowed four hits, sidestepping a leadoff double in the third. Derek Hill helped him out with that, laying out to catch a line drive in center field and rob Ballesteros of a hit.
He waded into trouble again in the sixth after giving up consecutive two-out walks, but then won another seven-pitch battle by getting José Siri to whiff on a curveball. Wheeler capped his outing with his sixth strikeout.
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Catcher J.T. Realmuto delivered the Phillies’ first hit and run of the game in one fell swoop, sending a game-tying homer to the rock formation in left-center field to lead off the third inning.
The Phillies’ offense mostly slumbered after that against Angels lefty Yusei Kikuchi, until Sosa’s second big swing of the series. He followed up his go-ahead grand slam on Friday with a go-ahead solo home run in the seventh inning, turning on a splitter inside and depositing it over the left field wall to break the tie.
With Jonathan Bowlan and Jhoan Duran both unavailable — Bowlan had pitched two nights in a row and Duran pitched two innings Saturday — the Phillies were down their go-to high leverage arms. Alex McFarlane, José Alvarado, and Orion Kerkering split the job in relief.
Another late outburst against the Angels bullpen gave the pitching staff some breathing room. Kyle Schwarber began the rally with a walk, before a Turner single and another walk to Alec Bohm loaded the bases.
Luis Arraez pinch-hit for Sosa against right-handed José Fermin, and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to left field. Brandon Marsh cashed in another run with a pinch-hit single. In the ninth inning, the Phillies tacked on another with an RBI double from Bryce Harper.
McFarlane recovered from a leadoff walk for a scoreless seventh. Alvarado secured two outs in the eighth, but left two runners on for Kerkering after back-to-back singles.
Kerkering did his job, securing a groundout from the right-handed Siri to end the threat. He returned for the ninth and conceded a run but ended the game with a strikeout.
With one month left in the season, the Phillies are jockeying for playoff positioning in the National League. And things are about to heat up with a critical three-game series in Arizona. Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen joins Phillies Extra to discuss the wild-card race, the drama involving star second baseman Ketel Marte, and the 2023 NLCS, which left scars in Philadelphia that still haven't healed. Watch here.
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