Zack Wheeler, Brandon Marsh Shine as Phillies Take Opener Over Brewers

The Phillies enter the final week of the regular season with a level of somberness. It felt like just yesterday the season began, and now we stand with the final two series of the season ahead of us. The first of the final two began Tuesday night, against arguably the best team in baseball this season, the Milwaukee Brewers.

In a historic performance by Zack Wheeler, a stellar bullpen outing, and clutch offensive moments, the Phillies’ magic number is down to two with a 6-4 win.

The night began and revolved around the veteran starting pitcher. Wheeler had himself a humble but historic night. Entering Tuesday night with 1,999 career strikeouts, he was aggressive against Garret Mitchell to begin the game and sent him down on a below-the-zone splitter, sending Mitchell back to the bench and Wheeler into the history books. Holding 2,000 career strikeouts after the first batter of the game, becoming the 96th pitcher in MLB history to reach that number. He joins teammate Aaron Nola, who reached the mark back on Aug. 9, becoming only the second pair of teammates to reach the mark in the same season since Tim Hudson and Jake Peavy on the 2014 San Francisco Giants.

That first at-bat was historic, but Wheeler was not done with the history. He sent down the first seven batters he faced via the strikeout, a new franchise record, surpassing Brandon Duckworth‘s record of six straight to start a game back in 2002.

Wheeler was extremely dominant through those first three innings, and the record books now show it. Afterwards, though, seems that Wheeler slowly just got tired out by a gritty Milwaukee lineup. A sac fly in the fourth was his first blemish, although he quickly struck Jake Bauers out to end the inning and, following that up with a 1-2-3 inning in the fifth, put that blemish in the rearview.

Come the sixth inning, Wheeler ran out of gas. A leadoff single, a stolen base, a walk, another stolen base, and then a two-run single tied the game up at three apiece due to gritty small ball by the best small ball team in baseball. Wheeler could not get out of the inning, ending his night earlier than many might have expected given his strikeout total, but was uplifted by a standing ovation from the Citizens Bank Park crowd and reliever Tim Mayza closing out the inning on one pitch.

Wheeler’s night ended with a final line of 5.2 innings pitched, three runs allowed on five hits and one walk, striking out 11 Brewers. If the Phillies clinch a postseason spot before Sunday, Wheeler will likely be scratched from that day’s start, ending his season with a 13-5 record, 3.06 ERA, and 188 strikeouts in 156 innings pitched. It was a phenomenal season for a 36-year-old vet who, at this time last season, was getting a potential career-altering surgery.

Wheeler was not the only one to have an electric performance in him. The bullpen had arguably their best outing this month. Mayza came into the game with two outs in the sixth, the go-ahead runs in scoring position: one pitch, one out, inning over. Alex McFarlane came in and continued his breakout, throwing the seventh and eighth innings, scoreless and stellar. Jose Alvarado closed out the eighth to give the lineup a chance in the bottom half of the inning. The offense came through and opened the door for Jhoan Duran to close the night out; he did, now 13-for-13 in save opportunities at Citizens Bank Park.

The offense earned some love as well Tuesday night. Attacking early, a two-run bomb by Brandon Marsh put the Phillies on top in the second. Marsh’s night was not done as he added an insurance run in the eighth to make the game 6-3. In between those two Marsh hits were Alec Bohm once again showed his near-automatic ability with runners in scoring position.

Then the big one: a go-ahead two-run single by Bryson Stott to break the tie in the eighth. With two strikes on him, Stott finally got a high fastball that he was looking for and blooped it perfectly into center to score Luis Arraez from second. An errant throw to third while trying to get Bohm allowed him to score to make it 5-3.

Christopher DeMaio

Christopher DeMaio is a Delaware County Native, graduate of Devon Preparatory School (class of 2025). He is currently attending Franciscan University and is in his sophomore year. Chris, growing up playing baseball since the age of 4, fell in love with his hometown Phillies and continues that love by listening to sports radio, reading articles, and writing for the Philly Sports Reports Phillies team.

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