Zack Wheeler, Phillies knock off Astros

Zack Wheeler logged his first scoreless outing of the season, and the visiting Philadelphia Phillies recorded eight extra-base hits in their 6-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday.

Wheeler (3-1) allowed three hits and one walk while recording seven strikeouts over six innings. He surrendered one extra-base hit, a leadoff double to Yordan Alvarez in the fourth inning, and allowed just one additional baserunner to reach scoring position when Corey Julks followed his two-out single in the second with a steal of second base.

Wheeler retired the side in order only once, doing so in the third. However, two of the three hits he allowed came with two outs and the bases empty, and Wheeler did not surrender more than one baserunner in any frame.

After walking Alvarez with one out in the sixth, Wheeler responded with strikeouts of Alex Bregman and Kyle Tucker to cap his stellar outing.

Offensively, the Phillies taxed Astros right-hander Cristian Javier (2-1), who twirled six hitless innings in Philadelphia as part of a combined no-hitter in Game 4 of the 2022 World Series.

Of the seven hits the Phillies recorded against Javier, six went for extra bases, including five doubles. Brandon Marsh and Alex Bohm doubled off Javier in the fourth, but not until Nick Castellanos broke a scoreless tie with a line-drive homer to left field with one out in the frame.

Castellanos' fourth home run of the season carried 416 feet. Marsh doubled one batter later, advanced to third base on a Javier wild pitch and scored when J.T. Realmuto sent a sacrifice fly to right field.

Shortly after Realmuto doubled with one out in the sixth off Javier, Phillies first baseman Kody Clemens greeted Astros reliever Phil Maton with a two-run home run to right, extending the lead to 4-0. Maton had not allowed a run in his prior 10 appearances this season.

Javier allowed three runs on seven hits and one walk with six strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings.

Bohm and Jake Cave each notched two doubles for Philadelphia. Clemens' homer was his second of the season.

Jeremy Pena provided Houston's lone run with a solo homer in the eighth.