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Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler was sensational on the mound Saturday against the Atlanta Braves. The hard-throwing righty kept Atlanta in check as he went eight innings, giving up just three hits and striking out 12 along the way.
He let up zero runs in his start in Atlanta. Craig Kimbrel came in to shut the door, but not after giving up a solo homer to Sean Murphy. Philadelphia would edge out Atlanta by a score of 2-1.
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Wheeler was feeling himself on the mound. He had great control of everything that was coming out of his hand. He made a living on the corners, which was frustrating for Atlanta hitters,
The Phillies ace threw 106 pitches on the night, and 68 of them were for strikes. His impressive start has dropped his ERA down to 3.60 on the season. The Phillies' record now improves to 25-27.
"Wheelz of steel" one fan tweeted.
"Asbolutely outstanding!" another fan tweeted.
Philadelphia Phillies fans loved the performance from Zack Wheeler. He shut down one of the top teams in the league and saved the bullpen by going eight innings.
This was the performance that Philadelphia needed from Wheeler. He hasn't looked like his normal dominant self, and the fanbase was starting to worry. This performance has eased everyone's minds.
The Philadelphia Phillies know they can play with anybody
It's no secret that the Philadelphia Phillies have underperformed this season. They sit fourth in the National League East, six games behind the Atlanta Braves, but they're starting to turn it around.
They've taken two games from Atlanta this weekend so far, and a win on Sunday would complete the sweep. That would be huge. They already know they can compete with the best, but shutting down the Braves would boost the team's confidence.
Philadelphia could then carry that momentum into their next series against another divisional rival, the New York Mets. Taking a few games from the Mets would turn this division upside down.
The Phillies are starting to click at just the right time. The emergence of Bryce Harper has helped solidify this offense while some other players have struggled. Once Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner find their groove, they could be a real juggernaut.
Don't sleep on this team. It's a long season, and they're way too talented to keep underperforming as they have been.
