Wheeler homers, strikes out 11 as Mets rout Phillies 9-0

By: Ben Walker, The Associated Press Posted: 9:04 PM CDT Tuesday, Apr. 23, 2019 Last Modified: 10:15 PM CDT Tuesday, Apr. 23, 2019

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NEW YORK - Power pitching, that's what the New York Mets hope to get from Zack Wheeler.

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NEW YORK - Power pitching, that's what the New York Mets hope to get from Zack Wheeler.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/04/2019 (2693 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

NEW YORK – Power pitching, that’s what the New York Mets hope to get from Zack Wheeler.

But power hitting?

Wheeler connected for his first major league home run and struck out 11 in seven sharp innings as the Mets handed the Philadelphia Phillies their fifth loss in six games, 9-0 on Tuesday night.

New York Mets' Zack Wheeler delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Tuesday, April 23, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

“Pitching’s obviously first, but we work a lot on our hitting and we take pride in it,” Wheeler said.

“We want to go up there and do well as a staff and not give them an easy out. Luckily, I wasn’t an easy out tonight,” he said.

For the Phillies, it was another quiet day. Until two outs in the ninth, that is.

That’s when Mets reliever Jacob Rhame sailed two fastballs over Rhys Hoskins’ head. The benches started to clear after the first time, and Hoskins angrily slung his bat after the next one, which was ball four.

“I understand baseball. They got hit a couple times yesterday,” Hoskins said.

But that didn’t make it any easier to accept, not after high heat buzzed his helmet. Mets catcher Travis d’Arnaud “just said they were trying to go inside and I laughed,” the Philadelphia cleanup man said.

No doubt, it could make for tense times in the series finale Wednesday night.

Before the late shenanigans, it was the Wheeler show.

Wheeler also doubled and drove in three runs and Todd Frazier connected for a grand slam that made it 8-0 in the fifth.

“I was like, God, he makes it look easy and I’m trying to get an extra-base hit or get on base,” Frazier said. “It was nice to have him supply the RBIs, give himself a little breathing room and I came in at the end.”

Wheeler (2-2) became the majors’ first 100-100 player this season — he hit and pitched a ball at least 100 mph, according to Statcast.

“First pitcher ever to do that,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said. “That put him over the top, it seems like. And that’s a real stat, by the way, I’m not making that up. He did everything right.”

Wheeler did it in his 100th career start, too. He fanned seven straight in the early innings, and gave himself a cushion at the plate.

New York Mets starting pitcher Zack Wheeler smiles while celebrating with teammates after hitting a home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies Tuesday, April 23, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

A career .129 hitter, Wheeler lined a two-run double in the second off Zach Eflin (2-3). The next time up, Wheeler did even better, launching a drive over the wall in left-centre.

Wheeler kept up a surprising longball show by Mets pitchers. Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom also have gone deep this year, making the Mets the first NL team in more than 110 years to have three pitchers homer in the first 25 games of a season.

Frazier broke open the game with his fifth career slam, tagging Drew Anderson. Frazier made his season debut Monday after being slowed by a strained left oblique.

Bryce Harper and the Phillies have totalled just two runs while losing three in a row, and were shut out for the first time season. They went down quietly Monday when their last 16 batters were retired, and manager Gabe Kapler said before this game that he wanted to see whether his team would respond with any energy.

They didn’t, at least until two outs in the ninth. The closest the Phillies came to scoring was in the fourth when Maikel Franco was thrown out at the plate by left fielder Jeff McNeil on Cesar Hernandez’s single.

“Very frustrating,” Kapler said, adding, “It wasn’t good effort.”

Hernandez also let an easy grounder roll through his legs with two outs in the second, allowing Wheeler to score from second.

Mets relievers Luis Avilan and Rhame finished off the five-hitter.

WHEELING ALONG

Wheeler improved to 35-32 lifetime. He struck out nine of the first 13 batters.

QUIET HARPER

Harper was hitless in three at-bats, striking out twice before leaving for a substitute. The Phillies star had an uneventful night, a day after his wild rant at an umpire that has Major League Baseball looking at whether he should be penalized.

New York Mets' Todd Frazier hits a grand slam home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game Tuesday, April 23, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

“Hope not. We’ll see,” Harper said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: RHP Victor Arano (elbow inflammation) might be a couple weeks from throwing, Kapler said.

Mets: CF Brandon Nimmo exited after three innings because of a left oblique twinge. … SS Amed Rosario didn’t start for the second straight day because of flulike symptoms.