Rhys Hoskins stays hot, Zack Wheeler shuts down Cards, Phillies win 2-1
Zack Wheeler took a one-hit shutout into the ninth inning and Rhys Hoskins hit two home runs as the Phillies beat the St. Louis Cardinals last night.
In what turned out to be a classic pitchers’ duel in a game that only took 2 hours and 22 minutes to play, Wheeler and Cards pitcher Adam Wainwright brought their best to the mound. Wheeler finished the night pitching eight innings, allowing one hit, one earned run, and three walks while striking out eight. Wainwright, pitched nine innings, allowing six hits, two earned runs, and zero walks while striking out eight.
The Phillies moved to 11-11 on the season, back to .500 and most importantly, picked up a much needed road win. The Phillies improved to 3-7 on the road this season, which isn’t saying much but it’s certainly better than 2-8.
For the first time in Phillies history, they have gone three straight games with multi-home run performances. Hoskins hit two on 4/24, Harper hit two on 4/25, Hoskins hit two again on 4/26. With two more home runs last night, Rhys Hoskins now leads Major League Baseball with eight home runs on the season. Over his last six games, Hoskins now has six home runs. To say the very least, the Big Fella is on fire.
Home Run Number One
Home Run Number Two
For a Phillies offense that has been struggling, having both Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins clicking at the same time is extremely important. The Phillies duo have now combined for the Phillies last seven home runs and are responsible for nine of the last Phillies 11 runs. JT Realmuto had three hits last night, Brad Miller had one, Hoskins had two, and the rest of the team had zero. The Phillies improved to 2-2 on their current road trip and can certainly need some additional help from the plate to keep their heads above .500.
The Phillies desperately needed a win. Wheeler delivered.
Wheeler had a perfect game until allowing a two-out single to Paul DeJong in the fifth, which was the only hit the Cardinals had on the night. His four-seam fastball touched 99.5 mph and masterfully mixed in his slider, sinker, and curveball while striking out nine batters. Hector Neris, who always makes things interesting, threw a terrible pitch to Nolan Arenado that got tagged to deep left center. Luckily for the Phillies the ball somehow stayed in the ballpark and Odubel Herrera made the final out to end the game.
Other Notes
Bryce Harper hit a line drive ball to left field during batting practice and hit another baseball in mid-air that was being thrown in the outfield, bringing up Randy Johnson pigeon vibes before the game.
Odubel Herrera played his first major league game since May 26, 2019. He went 0-for-3 from the plate with a strikeout. Jose Alvarado and Matt Moore were activated off the injured list. Mickey Moniak and Spencer Howard were sent down to Lehigh Valley.
Up Next
Zach Eflin (1-0, 2.77 ERA) will take the mound tonight against Carlos Martinez (0-4, 6.00 ERA) in the second of a four-game series. Eflin allowed two runs over seven innings in a 9-2 win against St. Louis on April 16th. Martinez gave up six runs in the second inning of the game.
Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY
