Phillies’ money players Bryce Harper, Zack Wheeler, and Kyle Schwarber earn their checks in Game 1 of NLCS

SAN DIEGO — In the past three years, John Middleton committed more than half a billion dollars to three players. He signed them to lead his lineup, to lead his pitching staff, and to lead his clubhouse.

He got his money’s worth Tuesday night.

The Phillies beat the Padres, 2-0, in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series. Almost everything that mattered came from the big-ticket players.

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Kyle Schwarber, the $79 million leadoff hitter, launched a 488-foot, 119.7-mph missile into the second deck of Petco Park in the sixth inning. Minstrels sing of such feats.

Zack Wheeler, whose $118 million deal made him the highest-paid pitcher in Phillies history, dealt seven shutout innings and allowed just two base runners. Doc Halladay would’ve been proud.

And Bryce Harper, the $330 million reigning MVP, started it all off with a 104 mph, opposite-field slicer off Yu Darvish that gave Wheeler the lead in the fourth. Harper’s 1.411 OPS, four homers, and 11 hits leads all postseason hitters, and his .407 average ranks second. He’s been money, man.

Middleton gave team president Dave Dombrowski permission to exceed the luxury tax this spring for the first time in franchise history. Nights like Tuesday are why they went over.

This is what $527 million looks like when it earns its money.

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“Going into spring training, Dave Dombrowski and John Middleton making the decision to go over the tax and give us our best chance to win,” Harper said Monday.

Come Tuesday, he’d made his bosses look good:

“I live for this moment.”

The mercenaries have all delivered.

“We want to get the job done,” Schwarber said.

Almost all of Middleton’s investments have paid dividends, and they’ve done it all season. It began in earnest in this very ballpark, when Blake Snell, the Padres’ starter in Game 2 on Wednesday, broke Harper’s thumb on June 25. The rest of the squad had to grow up.

J.T. Realmuto, the $115.5 million catcher, became the best catcher in baseball (again).

Schwarber got torrid; he finished with 46 homers and led the National League. He was 2-for-21 in the postseason when he led off the sixth with his bomb. The exit velo made it not just the hardest-hit ball of the postseason, but the third-hardest hit ball of 2022.

» READ MORE: Zack Wheeler, power bats carry Phillies to 2-0 win over Padres in NLCS opener

“I thought it got pretty small pretty fast, right?” said Harper, who gaped as the ball rose toward right field. “I’ve never seen a ball go up in that section of Petco Park. Just very impressive. Just, wow.”

Even Nick Castellanos, the $100 million luxury hitter and the last big-ticket item of the rebuild, contributed in Harper’s absence. He hit .295, 53 points above his average before Harper got hurt.

When the lights got bright, the Phillies’ stars shined.

Wheeler’s fastball averaged just under 96 mph this season. It set at just under 98 mph Tuesday night. After a walk to Juan Soto, he retired 12 straight batters before Wil Myers got the only hit off him. He then retired the next eight in a row.

Schwarber led off the game with a walk, then singled in the third inning. He was back.

Harper actually hit a ball harder than his homer. He pulled a 106 mph, one-hop laser to second baseman Jake Cronenworth, who had shifted to short right field. There, he dove to his right, popped up on his right knee, and threw Harper out.

» READ MORE: “Can you believe this? It’s magical!” Phillies owner John Middleton rejoices in the return of Red October

Despite his dominance, Wheeler gave way to presumptive closer Seranthony Domínguez in the eighth, after just 83 pitches. Wheeler threw just 79 pitches six days earlier, in Game 2 of the NL Division Series. Wheeler’s fastball was fading, so, when manager Rob Thomson approached him, Wheeler agreed that it was time for the bullpen to earn its money.

Domínguez was perfect in the eighth. Jose Alvarado, the 100 mph lefty, stranded two Padres in the ninth to get the save. No doubt Thomson was sweating, if he sweats.

Might this light work lately make Wheeler available for Game 4 on Saturday, on three days’ rest? That would eliminate the need for a “bullpen start” for Noah Syndergaard, who was limited to three innings of work in the Game 4 NLDS clincher Saturday.

So, Wheeler in Game 4?

No, Topper told me.

Wheeler will continue to earn his paycheck on regular rest.

Well, he’s got a 1.40 ERA in his three-game playoff debut. He’s been worth every penny.

They all have.