The New York Mets drafted RHP Zack Wheeler to be a power pitcher. What they didn't expect is that he would be a power hitter. Wheeler hit a 385 foot home run while striking out 11 Phillies in
a 9-0 rout last night, giving Philly their 5th loss in 6 games. Before Jacob Rhame threw behind Rhys Hoskins, it was the Zack Wheeler show in New York. Wheeler homered and doubled, totaling for 3 RBI, as the Mets cruised.
Todd Frazier ended the 5th inning with a grand slam to make it 8-0 Mets. Frazier said about Wheeler's impressive batting that "I was like, God, he makes it look easy and I'm trying to get an extra-base hit or get on base, it was nice to have him supply the RBI, give himself a little breathing room and I came in at the end." Wheeler became the first 100-100 pitcher this season, meaning he threw and hit a ball at least 100 mph. Coincidentally, he did it in his 100th career start.
Mets manager Mickey Callaway said that "First pitcher ever to do that, 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, who is a career .129 hitter, ripped a double off Philly pitcher Zach Eflin in the second inning, scoring 2. In the 5th, he hit a homer, followed by the Frazier grand slam. The Mets are the first NL team in more than 110 years to have 3 pitchers hit homers in the first 25 games of a season, as Noah Syndergaard and Jacob Degrom have also hit homers this year.
The Phillies have lost 3 in a row, and 5 out of 6. In their last 3 losses, they have totaled only 2 runs. Last night's shutout was the first time the Phillies have been shut out this year. Monday's loss was an especially quiet one, as their last 16 batters all got out. Gabe Kapler wanted to see if the Phillies would have any energy tonight. They sure didn't. The closest they came to scoring was in the 4th inning, when Maikel Franco was thrown out by Mets LF Jeff McNeil. Manager Gabe Kapler said that the game was "Very frustrating, it wasn't good effort."
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