Zack Wheeler Implodes as Phillies’ Nine-Game Winning Streak Comes to an End

The Phillies’ nine-game winning streak came crashing down as Zack Wheeler suffered his worst start of the season and the offense disappeared in a 9-2 loss to the Mariners, which exposed some issues the winning streak had been hiding.

Phialdelphia came into this series opener against Seattle as the hottest team in the majors since the Field of Dreams game, looking to bring their season-high winning streak to 10. The biggest questions in this game were how the Phillies would respond after their huge comeback win against the Cardinals and how Zack Wheeler would respond after four straight lackluster performances.

The offense didn’t wait around to get the scoring started as Alec Bohm hit a fielder’s choice, scoring Kyle Schwarber, giving the Phillies a 1-0 lead. The Mariners didn’t waste any time either as they scored five runs in the bottom of the first, with Julio Rodriguez hitting a three-run home run, and capped off by Cal Raleigh hitting a two-run shot.

The Phillies got one back in the second on JT Realmuto’s ninth home run of the season. However, in the third, Wheeler loaded the bases, and Rodriguez scored a run on a wild pitch, and two innings later Raleigh hit his second home run of the game, a solo bomb, followed by a Cole Young solo home run, making the game 8-2. In the seventh, Raleigh capped off the night by hitting his third homer of the night, another solo shot.

Wheeler Struggles in His Worst Outing of the Season

Zack Wheeler’s first inning will be remembered for the two home runs hit by Rodriguez and Raleigh, but what really caused him issues was his control. This continued into the third inning, where he loaded the bases and a wild pitch scored a run. His breaking pitches were all overthrown, and he had little control, with even his fastball being up in the zone.

His unraveling was completed in the fifth when he gave up his seventh and eighth earned runs of the game on back-to-back home runs. Wheeler’s eight earned runs in his four innings of work are tied for the most he’s ever allowed in a start, and the most he’s allowed as a Phillie.

Wheeler has pitched five straight clunkers, and this pattern is concerning. Over his last six starts, he has an 8.51 ERA, and hasn’t made it past the sixth inning since July 21. As the bottom of the rotation irons out the issues they struggled with, Wheeler has run into trouble, causing Phillies skipper Don Mattingly to have a hard decision ahead of him.

Turner’s Defense is Becoming an Issue

In the midst of the Phillies’ winning streak, there has been an issue that’s been masked, and that was on display in this game. Trea Turner missed two grounders that should’ve been fielded, with one of them resulting in a run.

Of all National League shortstops with more than 100 games played, Turner has the worst dWAR and is tied for the most errors in the league with 19. What has been worse than the errors is the perception that the errors that Turner has made have appeared to be mental errors and plays that look like they are lack-of-hustle plays. This is something that the Phillies can’t have if they want to have a chance to win games like this where the offense doesn’t show up.

Offense Disappears in Streak-Ending Game

The Phillies’ offense has been clutch during this nine-game winning streak, and in this game the charmed existence had caught up with them. Logan Gilbert was on top of his game, but with the offense’s recent change in strategy, they opted to scrap that strategy and hunt for long balls when they got down after the first inning.

They were owed a clunker after the way they have played since the Field of Dreams game, and this was definitely that. A forgettable game, where the offense looks sleapwalkish, and the pitching staff, of course, has one of the worst performances of the season. The offense will rebound, but this is the iteration of the Phillies that doesn’t cause opponents concern. With George Kirby taking on Aaron Nola, the Phillies have a chance to rebound and start another streak.

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