The Philadelphia Phillies are back to their winning ways after a stumble last Saturday in the series finale in London against the New York Mets. In their first game back from across the pond, Philadelphia took down the Boston Red Sox Tuesday night in a series opener at Fenway Park to the tune of a 4-1 score.

Zack Wheeler played a prominent role in Philadelphia's success in that contest, as he tossed seven innings of one-run ball, allowing just three hits and a walk while striking out four Red Sox hitters through only 88 pitches.

Phillies boasting of a three-headed pitching monster

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports

With Wheeler churning out a stellar performance on the mound versus the Red Sox and picking up a pitching victory, the Phillies now have achieved something that had not been seen before in the history of MLB — or at least since ERA was introduced as an official stat in the big leagues back in 1913, per OptaSTATS:

So far in 2024, the@Phillies' Aaron Nola, Ranger Suárez & Zack Wheeler each have:

.700+ win pct
sub-3.00 ERA
sub-.200 opp BA
sub-1.00 WHIP

Since ERA became official in 1913, no other trio of MLB teammates has each had those numbers at the end of any given day (min. 75 IP).

Before the Red Sox game, Wheeler had a 7-3 record through 12 starts. That win against the Red Sox pushed his win percentage to over 70 percent on the season. He now is brandishing a sweet 8-3 record in 14 starts to go with a 2.16 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, and a .178 opponent batting average.

It has been that kind of season so far for Wheeler, whose scintillating performance versus Boston had Red Sox manager Alex Cora gushing over the right-hander.

“For me, in my book, he's the best. The ability to throw the sinker, the cutter, the fourseamer, throw strikes, controls the running game. He's efficient. He's really good, he's really good,” Cora said following the game (via Red Sox Nation Stats).

As for the other two Phillies pitching weapons in Suarez and Nola, they have also been very effective on the mound this season. Suarez is 10-1 in 13 starts with a 1.81 ERA, and 0.85  WHIP. Nola, on the other hand, is 8-2 across 13 starts with a 2.77 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. Suarez and Nola also have .181 and .195 opponent batting averages, respectively.

That vaunted pitching triumvirate of Suarez, Nola, and Wheeler is largely the reason why the Phillies entered Tuesday leading the majors in starters ERA (2.65), FIP (3.26), and fWAR (9.1), per FanGraphs.

It has been a generally smooth ride this season for the Phillies despite the injuries some of their key players are dealing with; Brandon Marsh, JT Realmuto, and Trea Turner are all on the injured list.

The Phillies improved to 46-20 on the season — the best record in the National League and 10 games ahead of their rivals in the National League East division. They are 8-2 in their last 10 games, also the best in the NL over the same stretch.

Philadelphia will look to keep the good times rolling in the second leg of the series against the Red Sox this Wednesday when the Phillies give the ball to Christopher Sanchez, who is eyeing to get his first win this June. He is 3-3 with a 2.71 ERA in 12 starts, so far this season. Meanwhile, Nola is scheduled to face the Red Sox in the series finale on Thursday, while Suarez is slated to start on Friday in a series opener versus the Baltimore Oriole at Camden Yards.