The Philadelphia Phillies have won four games in a row and hope it’s now right-hander Zack Wheeler’s turn to get back into the win column.
Wheeler, who has not posted a win in more than a month, will get the ball Tuesday in the second contest of a three-game series against the visiting Miami Marlins.
Wheeler (10-4, 2.89 ERA) is in the midst of a four-start stretch in which he has pitched a total of 15 1/3 innings. One of those starts was abbreviated due to rain, but the veteran right-hander clearly has not been himself of late.
Most recently, Wheeler gave up five runs (four earned) in five innings last Wednesday in a 7-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
“It’s a frustrating day, just in general,” Wheeler said. “Made some good pitches, I felt like, and they just put the bat on the ball. It’s just one of those games that you’ve kind of got to forget, learn what you learn, and just go forward.”
That game dropped Philadelphia to 2-4 over a six-game stretch, although the team has rebounded to win each of its last four contests. The Phillies swept the Minnesota Twins in a three-game set before notching a 6-5 victory in Monday’s opener of their series with the Marlins.
Cristopher Sanchez logged six solid innings to become the majors’ first 16-game winner, while Bryce Harper registered three hits and Derek Hill drove in a pair of runs for Philadelphia.
“That’s what we’re going to have to do down the stretch here,” interim manager Don Mattingly said of his team’s ability to win games in different ways of late. “Any good team, they’re going to keep playing and keep figuring out ways to win games. … It’s good that we’re finding some ways.”
The Phillies have scored 29 runs during their current four-game win streak.
“It’s what makes you dangerous as a club,” Mattingly added. “When you keep putting traffic out there.”
Six players had two hits for Miami, including Javier Sanoja (two RBIs) and Brian Navarreto (home run). The Marlins had won six of their previous eight games and fought hard against Sanchez and the Philadelphia bullpen before coming up just short in the ninth.
“We just weren’t able to scratch one across in the early part of the game with some of the traffic we were able to create,” Miami manager Clayton McCullough said. “But Sanchez is a good pitcher.”
Phillies All-Star closer Jhoan Duran, who picked up his 27th save on Monday, almost certainly will not be available Tuesday after closing out Philadelphia’s last two games while throwing 43 pitches in the process.
Miami will give the ball to Cade Gibson (2-0, 5.61), who has made 29 relief appearances this season. The left-hander will serve as an opener after working the eighth inning — and allowing a key insurance run — in Monday’s contest.
Gibson has given up 10 runs in four innings against the Phillies this season. He has an 8.25 ERA in 10 career relief appearances versus the Phillies without a decision.
Wheeler had an uncharacteristically poor outing vs. the Marlins on July 27, allowing five earned runs in three innings. For his career, he is 14-4 with a 2.80 ERA against Miami.
–Field Level Media
