Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler brought his A-game Tuesday night. His sterling performance on the mound in Game 1 of this National League Wild-Card series against the Miami Marlins was enough to eke out a 4-1 victory at home. Moreover, Wheeler's start versus the Marlins saw him join an exclusive statistical Phillies club of pitchers, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
“Zack Wheeler has his 3rd playoff game with 6 IP and 0 or 1 run allowed. That is tied for 3rd-most in Phillies postseason history. Only Steve Carlton and Cole Hamels have more such games.”
Wheeler was dealing from start to finish of his outing in the series opener versus the Marlins. He was charged with only an earned run on five hits while fanning a total of eight Miami batters. His accuracy was on point, as evidenced by the fact that he did not issue a single walk during the 6.2 innings he spent on the mound silencing Miami's offense. The Phillies' bullpen made sure to get the job done, with Craig Kimbrel closing it out with a clean ninth inning to pick up a save.
Both Hamels and Carlton helped the Phillies win it all during their time with the franchise, and that's certainly the main goal of Wheeler, who signed a five-year deal worth $118 million with Philadelphia back in 2019.
With a win in the bag, the Phillies need just one more to move on to the next round of the 2023 MLB playoffs. They can send the Marlins to an early vacation with a victory this Wednesday, with Aaron Nola getting the start.