Phillies’ Zack Wheeler strikes out 10, drives in two runs in 4-0 win over Braves

Wheeler is the first Phillies pitcher since Cliff Lee in 2013 to have multiple hits, multiple RBIs, and double-digit strikeouts.

Phils pitcher Zack Wheeler pithes during the Atlanta Braves at Philadelphia Phillies Major League baseball game at Citizens Bank Park in Phila., Pa. on April 3, 2021.Read moreELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff Photographer

by Matt Breen

Published April 3, 2021, 6:46 p.m. ET

In the last 18 months, Zack Wheeler’s experience against live pitching was limited to some time in the batting cage and just one at-bat in each of the last two spring trainings. Pitchers did not bat last season while the National League used a designated hitter, so it had been a while since Wheeler stepped into a batter’s box.

But there he was Saturday -- in the fifth inning of a 4-0 win over Atlanta -- jumping on a first-pitch fastball to drive in a run with two outs. The next inning, Wheeler dropped a double into left field to bring in another run. It had been a while since Wheeler was at the plate, but his layoff was hard to see.

Wheeler struck out 10 batters in seven innings, allowed just one hit, walked none, and topped out at 99.8 mph. He retired the final 17 batters he faced and was dominant. But it wasn’t just Wheeler’s powerful right arm that controlled the Braves.

“Easy game, right? The guy took 18 months off of hitting and in his first game he gets a couple knocks,” first baseman Rhys Hoskins said. “Shoot, it’s hard to beat a guy like that on the mound if he’s also beating you at the plate.”

The Phillies started the fifth inning with consecutive strikeouts as they seemed troubled against right-hander Charlie Morton, the former Phil who rejuvenated his career the last few seasons in the American League.

Then Jean Segura laced a single and Roman Quinn was hit by a pitch. And in stepped Wheeler, who came to the plate with a basic approach against a pitcher just trying to finish an inning.

“I’m just looking fastball. Pitchers are going to see fastballs,” he said. “I know it sounds simple and kind of dumb, but it’s the truth. You’re going to see a fastball, you’ve just got to be ready to hit it and more than likely it’s going to be away. You kind of just try to put the bat on the ball and hope for the best.”

The Phillies knew when they signed Wheeler that he could hold his own at the plate, but they didn’t get to see him swing last season. He timed Morton’s fastball and the Phillies had their first run. Two batters later, Hoskins doubled in two more. The way Wheeler was pitching, that was more than enough.

“Golly, was he good today,” manager Joe Girardi said. “I don’t know if you can say enough great things about what he did today.”

Wheeler led the Phillies rotation last season with a 2.92 ERA, a mark that was 53% better than league average. It was a strong first season after signing a $118 million contract.

But his strikeout rate dipped last season to 6.7 per nine innings, more than two strikeouts per nine fewer than he had in 2019 with the Mets. Wheeler came to the Phillies as a strikeout pitcher but traded those strikeouts last season for weak contact and became a complete pitcher.

He showed Saturday that he can still rack up strikeouts. Wheeler was the first Phillies pitcher with multiple hits, multiple RBIs, and double-digit strikeouts since Cliff Lee struck out 14 in September of 2013 with four RBIs and two triples.

Wheeler ended his afternoon by striking out Freddie Freeman with a 93 mph slider and then fired his final pitch -- a 97 mph fastball -- past a swinging Marcell Ozuna. Girardi would have pushed Wheeler one more inning if it wasn’t his first start of the season.

Wheeler attacked the Braves with his fastball and biting sinker and utilized his slider and changeup when needed. Wheeler was never in trouble and everything seemed to be working.

“It’s an easy cheese, too,” Hoskins said. “It looked like he had really, really good command of the slider and the changeup today also. When the heater is that good and he’s able to sink the ball in on righties and get a lot of soft contact, it keeps his pitch count down and that’s kind of what we saw today. He’s able to go late into the game. It doesn’t matter how many times you get to face him in a game, it’s not a comfortable at-bat.”

Wheeler was followed by Archie Bradley and Héctor Neris, who each retired the three batters they faced. The Phillies have started the season with two strong starts from their rotation and two inspiring outings from their bolstered bullpen. Aaron Nola made one mistake on Thursday and the relievers have shown enough to believe that the 2020 bullpen was left in 2020.

And after a year without pitchers hitting, the Phillies were happy Saturday to see their pitcher with a bat in his hand. They saw last season the type of pitcher Wheeler is. They learned Saturday about the type of hitter he is.

“You take pride in it,” Wheeler said. “If you’re going up there, you might as well try. I take pride in it. It’s just trying to move the runners and keep the inning going.”