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The first time Zack Wheeler faced the Tampa Bay Rays this season, he pulled off a career-high 14 batting in seven innings in a 5-3 loss to the Phillies on May 29.
Tonight he faced them again, and while he was once again excellent, pulling out 10 on catches (being the first to hit 200 Ks for the season) he should overcome poor defensive and managerial decisions. Wheeler’s last stat line (5 ER on 10 hits) doesn’t really reflect the game he’s had. But we’ll get to that later.
Of the two mistakes the Phils made tonight, one came from the Phillies shortstop. No, not Didi Gregorius (although you might think so.) No, no, it was Freddy Galvis!
Galvis was activated from the IL yesterday and made his first start for the Phillies since September 29, 2017. So naturally the first ball he fielded on his return was a mistake. Because of course. Welcome back, Ferdy!
However, the Phillies hit first in the bottom of the second. The Phils had the goals loaded without a strike and Luke Williams at the plate. Unfortunately, only one point could score on a Williams RBI playing field. One is better than nothing!
Wander Franco opened fourth place with a brace and managed to score on an Andrew McCutchen error that brought Joey Wendle to second place. With two strikeouts, the Rays took the lead on a Yandy Díaz single.
Brandon Lowe extended the Rays lead in fifth with a solo homerun, his 30th of the season. The Phillies were now down two, and honestly, I thought that was the game. The offense has been so excruciating lately that a two-point deficit looks like 10.
Rays starter Ryan Yarbrough was retired after allowing Wheeler a starting single in the fifth. Shawn Armstrong arrived in relief and allowed Jean Segura to reach a force.
Bryce Harper, who was quoted last night as saying the team was “wasting time,” wasted no time in tying the game on a two-run homerun. MV3 is the 24th of the season.
Wheeler struggled in the eighth after allowing straight singles with one out. Randy Arozarena tackled Franco on an RBI Groundout, but Wheeler swung Brett Phillips to end the set.
Rhys Hoskins responded in the eighth and tied the game 4-4 on a solo homerun at left field. His 27th of the season.
With the draw, Wheeler shouldn’t even have touched the ninth inning. Even though he was still under 100 shots, I don’t think leaving him out was the right move. With runners in the first and third row with no outs, Francisco Mejia stepped up to the plate and hit a three-run homer to the right to give the Rays a 7-4 lead. Joe Girardi let Wheeler dry there, and he didn’t deserve that after the outing he got.
Sloppy defense. Sloppy management. Sloppy team. And another loss in a Wheeler departure. The Phils are back at the 0.500 mark and are five games away from the Atlanta Braves in the NL East. They fell hard and fast in August.
The Rays sweep the season-long streak against the Phils 4-0, and now the Arizona Diamondbacks make an unwelcome visit to South Philly tomorrow for a four-game streak. Zach Eflin returns to the mound for his first start since July 16, taking on another Zac (Gallen.) Here’s hopefully not getting swept up by one of baseball’s worst teams ever again!
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