Wheeler Shines, Turner Homers, Romano Stumbles, but Phillies Still Beat A’s in a Wild 9th

For many Phillies, this trip to play the Athletics is their first time playing professional baseball in Sacramento, California. The last time the Phillies played the Athletics, they were the Oakland Athletics, and played at the only home the Oakland A’s ever knew. Now we can’t say what city they are from, and they play in a minor league park that appeared to be a sea of red with the number of Phillies fans in attendance. It was truly reminiscent of the game that was played in Tampa last month. Playing a team in a temporary home where they are struggling, with the Phils coming off a huge series win.

Tonight, we didn’t have to wait long for the offense to get going. Trea Turner did his best Rickey Henderson impression and led off the game with a home run.

Based on the amount of offense at Sutter Health Park, and the absolute heater that the Phillies’ offense has been on during their 7 game winning streak, it felt like this was going to be a high-scoring game, but starting pitchers Jacob Lopez and Phillies ace Zack Wheeler had other plans. While both starters were in the game, the offense was way out of sync after the home run by Turner in the first.

Lopez and Wheeler, while polar opposites in terms of repertoire, had the same results tonight. Lopez topped out at 92 mph, but he kept Phillies hitters guessing all night with his control and how well he placed the fastball, and his use of his sharp slider, which he used masterfully when he was ahead in the count. He used it as his kill pitch all night, and the Phillies hitters were not able to get the timing on the pitch, only giving up four hard-hit balls all night. Wheeler was the proverbial power pitcher that we’ve become accustomed to since putting on a Phillies jersey. His fastball topped out at 99 tonight, and he was using it incredibly well. He went 6 2/3 with the only issue being the pitch count, which was at 108 when he came out of the game after back-to-back walks, his only 2 walks of the game.

The thing that brought his pitch count was that he was not as consistent with first pitch strikes as he had been in previous starts. He was in absolute control, but he could have been more efficient with his pitches early in the count. Even with that, tonight was his Major League-leading 10th start with 6+ innings pitched. His scoreless streak also continues at 22 2/3 innings.

When Lopez came out, the Phils started taking better swings, even though Athletics reliever Justin Sterner pitched well, the A’s bullpen has been absolutely terrible this month, sporting a 8.27 bullpen ERA in May.

When the top of the 9th started, Athletics Manager Mark Kotsay wanted to get some work in for his incredibly talented closer, Mason Miller. J.T. Realmuto legged out an infield single, but in what might have been the weirdest play I’ve ever seen, A’s first baseman Nick Kurtz tried to swipe for the low throw, and his mitt ended up where the second baseman lines up in a standard shift. The ball went down the line, and the ball guy on the first base side nearly made contact with the ball, and ended up in fair territory. By the time the A’s corralled the ball, Realmuto was already on third.

Alec Bohm stayed hot in clutch situations, booming a double, driving in Realmuto, and putting Bohm in scoring position. 2 quick outs later, Johan Rojas, who made an incredible catch to end the 8th, did it with the bat, singling in front of Lawrence Butler, bringing home Bohm. Rojas did it with his legs, stealing second, and to book-end the Phils’ scoring, Turner singled to bring home the fourth run

They would need that cushion, as Jordan Romano was definitely not himself in this one. Brent Rooker singled, then Shea Langeliers walked, and Kurtz came up. Romano was struggling with control and mechanics, and that led to him throwing a fastball down Broadway. Kurtz went with the pitch, and in one swing, he ended Romano’s hot streak that started back in Chicago last month. That connection was a long home run, bringing the A’s to within one at 4-3. Romano tightened back up and struck out Luis Arias, but then CJ Alexander singled, forcing Rob Thomson to come get his closer and letting Tanner Banks get the 27th out.

Romano’s struggles tonight were all mechanics, and that was obvious by his arm slot dropping and his landing foot being all over the mound. Romano’s mechanics are so quirky to begin with, when he gets wonky like tonight, it’s catastrophic for his control, which was the case tonight.

In the end, that isn’t going to be more than a footnote in a hard-fought Phils win. Both teams roughed up the other’s closers for 3 runs in the 9th inning, and that lead-off home run proved to be the big blow in the game.

The Phils have won 8 in a row, their longest winning streak since June of 2022, at the beginning of Thomson’s career as Phillies skipper. Tomorrow they will try and match that streak as they trot out Cristopher Sanchez to take on the Athletics Jeffrey Springs. Let’s hope that Romano gets a day off tomorrow to work on the mechanics and get back to where he was.

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