Phillies finish 7-3 roadtrip by grinding out a 2-1 victory against the Trout-less Angels

You know you have a superstar on your roster when even their bad games somehow look good in the end. We witness it constantly with Joel Embiid and Phillies Ace Zack Wheeler proved to be no different yesterday against the Los Angeles Angels.

Wheeler labored through five innings yesterday in Anaheim, allowing five hits, an earned run, and a walk while striking out six.

That was enough for the Phillies, who took the finale against the Trout-less Angels 2-1, earning their MLB-leading 21st victory this season while wrapping up a very successful 7-3 roadtrip. The Fightins are now 21-11 overall – marking their best start through 32 games since 2011 when they posted a 22-10 record.

What a road trip pic.twitter.com/JJcyWvNpMa
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 1, 2024

via MLB.com: Zack Wheeler threw 106 pitches (67 strikes) in five innings on Wednesday, the most he had thrown in five or fewer frames in a start since Sept. 25, 2014, when he threw 107 in five innings for the Mets.

While it wasn’t his best, Wheeler is still 3-3 with a 1.91 ERA over seven starts this season – allowing just one run in his past three starts (18.1 innings). The Phillies, as they did throughout the month of April and now into May, won all three of those starts.

The Phillies only runs came in the second inning after Patrick Sandoval walked Cristian Pache to load the bases with two outs. Sandoval then coughed up an RBI single to Kyle Schwarber that scored JT Realmuto and Whit Merrifield.

Kyle Schwarber 2 RBI Single

Phillies at the Plate:

Kyle Schwarber: 2-4, 2 RBI, 2K
Trea Turner: Rare 0-4, 2K
Bryce Harper: 1-3, BB, K
Alec Bohm: 1-4, K (15 Game Hit Streak)
JT Realmuto: 1-4, R, 3K
Whit Merrifield: 2-3, R

The Phillies struck out 18 TIMES yesterday which was obviously bad. At the end of the day, good teams win baseball games even when they don’t look pretty and that’s exactly what Wednesday’s game looked like.

With the win, the Phillies are now 21-11 overall. They sit a half-game behind the Atlanta Braves for first place in the National League East standings.