Zack Wheeler shines again in Phillies' Game 1 win
Over the years, the Philadelphia Phillies have relied on the likes of Steve Carlton, Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay to deliver clutch postseason performances on the mound.
Now, Zack Wheeler can add his name to the list of playoff aces.
Wheeler allowed only one run on five hits with eight strikeouts over 6.2 innings on Tuesday night, leading the Phillies to a 4-1 win over the Miami Marlins in Game 1 of the National League Wild Card Series.
The Phillies' ace is picking up where he left off last postseason, where he turned in a string of terrific starts. Most notably, he pitched a two-hit shutout over 6.1 innings in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, as well as a one-hit shutout over seven innings in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the San Diego Padres.
Wheeler was also the subject of controversy last November. He was removed in the sixth inning of Game 6 of the World Series against the Houston Astros despite 5.1 shutout innings and only 70 pitches thrown. As soon as the change was made, Jose Alvarado surrendered a three-run home run to Yordan Alvarez, and the Astros were on their way to a series-clinching win.
What makes Wheeler's postseason success surprising is that he had to wait until age 32 to make it to October. Last season was the first time he ever pitched in the playoffs despite five previous seasons with the New York Mets. Granted, part of that was a result of tough luck. Wheeler underwent Tommy John surgery after the 2014 season and a series of setbacks caused him to miss two full years. While he was shelved, the Mets went to the World Series in 2015 and made a brief postseason appearance in 2016. In the five seasons Wheeler was active, however, the Mets posted a winning percentage of just .477.
Wheeler has made the most of the opportunity the Phillies have given him, and the team will rely on him to go far once again this postseason. Perhaps manager Rob Thomson has learned his lesson about trusting his starters, too.
More must-reads: