WATCH: Zack Wheeler shoulders the blame for 7th-inning collapse in Phillies’ loss to the Tigers

Zack Wheeler could’ve let Rob Thomson take the heat. The decision to send him back out for the 7th inning on Saturday was already getting side-eyed before Wheeler’s cleats hit the top step.

Instead of dodging responsibility after the Phillies’ 7–5 loss to the Tigers, Wheeler stepped up to the mic and owned it like a true ace.

“That was on me.” – Zack Wheeler

Zack Wheeler was doing his to match Skubal. He struck out 10, marking his sixth double-digit strikeout game this year and the 31st of his career, but when he wasn’t missing bats, he was getting barreled into orbit.

The Tigers tattooed him for three homers, two of them absolute moonshots from Colt Keith and Kerry Carpenter that totaled 777 feet of misery in the third inning.

Wheeler tried to gut it out, convincing Rob Thomson to let him start the seventh. That lasted about five seconds. After an Otto Kemp error, Javy Báez launched a two-run homer to officially end Wheeler’s night and any realistic shot the Phillies had.

Zack Wheeler says he lobbied Rob Thomson to go back out for the 7th inning.

Zack Wheeler says he lobbied Rob Thomson to go back out for the seventh inning.

(Via @TimKellySports) pic.twitter.com/9QJ6CPTyyu

— On Pattison (@OnPattison) August 2, 2025

“I told [Rob Thomson] I really wanted to [go back out], and we just have that respect for each other, so he let me,” Wheeler said postgame. “Maybe I shouldn’t have. But I really did feel good going back out there.”

Tarik Skubal and Zack Wheeler both strikeout 10, Phillies fall short to the Tigers 7-5

Respect. Accountability. All good things of course but the result? Not so much.

After Otto Kemp booted a routine grounder to open the frame, Wheeler hung a sinker to Javy Báez that might still be airborne.

Two-run bomb. Game pretty much over. Wheeler’s final line: 6+ IP, 9 H, 4 R (3 ER), 10 K, 0 BB, 3 HR. The kind of stat sheet that’ll fool you if you weren’t watching.

Not Quite a Duel

This was billed as a heavyweight showdown: Wheeler vs. Skubal. A Cy Young-level battle in South Philly. And for most of the game, Tarik Skubal looked like the clear winner. He had the Phillies on a leash through six innings before unraveling slightly in the 7th.

Skubal still finished the inning and earned his 11th win of the year. On paper the two pitchers posted a nearly identical lines. Both struck out 10, didn’t walk a soul, gave up three earned.

The Problem?

This isn’t a one-game blip for Zack Wheeler. Since nearly throwing a perfect game against Cincinnati on July 6, Wheeler’s been in a weird funk.

Over his last four starts against playoff-caliber teams (Padres, Red Sox, Yankees, Tigers), Wheeler is 0-2 with a 4.94 ERA and has surrendered six home runs in 23.2 innings.

Zack Wheeler, Filthy Breaking Balls. 😷

3Ks in the 1st. pic.twitter.com/VgksnRS5bw

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 2, 2025

That’s not “Cy Young finalist” material. That’s “what’s wrong with Wheeler?” chatter.

Worried about Zack Wheeler? Not yet.

Wheeler’s earned a little runway. He’s still striking guys out (34 Ks to just 3 walks in those four starts), and the stuff is there. He’s just missing spots, and hitters aren’t missing the ball.

Zack Wheeler, Painted 96mph Back Door Two Seamer. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/YkUaDqQuvl

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 2, 2025

You don’t lose Cy Young races in early August but you sure can fall behind. With Paul Skenes lighting up the NL and Skubal running away with the AL, Wheeler’s margin for error is razor thin.

The Phillies still have time to get right. So does Wheeler. Saturday’s game wasn’t just another “meh” outing, it was a missed opportunity, in front of a sold-out crowd, against a legit World Series-caliber pitcher.

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