One mistake dooms Zack Wheeler as the bats come up small behind him originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Zack Wheeler threw 93 pitches Tuesday night.
Ninety-two of them were really good.
One wasn’t. And that made all the difference.
Wheeler and the Phillies suffered a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the rain at Citizens Bank Park.
The ending was a little ugly for the Phils. They had runners at second and third with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but the Dodgers pulled off a game-ending double play as the Phillies ran themselves out of the inning.
It was the first loss with Wheeler on the mound since June 9 when the Phillies were beaten, 3-2, in Toronto. Wheeler allowed just one run over six innings in that game, but didn’t get much run support.
Tuesday night’s game was similar. The Phillies, who have the majors’ worst on-base percentage at .303, had just five hits entering the ninth inning. They scored a run with two outs in the bottom of the first inning, but nothing the rest of the way. Dodgers lefty Justin Wrobleski had a lot to do with that. Exactly a week after striking out five in two innings of work in the All-Star Game, he returned to the CBP mound and allowed just five hits and a run over 6 1/3 innings. He walked just one and struck seven.
Wheeler was just as good as Wrobleski. He gave up just five hits over seven walk-free innings. He struck out nine.
Ultimately, Wheeler was done in by one pitch, a first-pitch cutter to lefty-swinging Max Muncy in the top of the fourth inning. The pitch was slightly elevated, out and over the plate, and Muncy pounded it 421 feet to center for a two-run home run. Andy Pages, who had singled to lead off the inning, was on first base.
Wheeler had struck out Muncy on a full-count cutter in the second inning. In the fourth, Muncy appeared to be looking for the pitch.
After the Muncy home run, Wheeler retired 11 of the next 12 batters he faced to keep the game close, but the Phillies’ bats did not respond.
Wheeler has a 2.08 ERA in his last nine starts. For the season, his ERA stands at 2.16.
One night after struggling mightily in the field, shortstop Trea Turner made three nice plays in the field, one charging the ball, one going to his left and one going to his right.
The Phils and Dodgers, playoff opponents last October, have split the first two games of the series. Aaron Nola (3-7, 5.68) faces lefty Eric Lauer (4-5, 4.81) in the series finale Wednesday night.
(More coming…)