Zack Wheeler makes history for all the wrong reasons, Phillies drop first game to the Mariners 9-2

Every good streak has to end sometime, and unfortunately the Phillies kicked off their trip out west with an absolute clunker, dropping a 9-2 decision to the Mariners on Monday night to snap the nine-game winning streak at T-Mobile Park.

Here’s the tough part about late night Phillies baseball on the West Coast. On one hand, I love it, there’s nothing like settling in for some Phillies After Dark. On the other hand, when Zack Wheeler gets shelled for five in the first inning, you kind of wish the game never started at all. This one was over early, and it never got better.

This was not the Zack Wheeler we know and love. The command drifted, the misses were huge, and when he did catch the zone, he caught way too much of it. He didn’t look like himself, and Seattle made him pay again and again and again.

After the Phillies scratched a run across in the top of the first on a Bohm forceout, Wheeler immediately walked Randy Arozarena and gave up a single to Dominic Canzone. He got Julio Rodriguez 0-2, then hung a splitter, usually one of his best pitches lately, dead over the middle, and Julio crushed it over the left-field wall. 3-1 Mariners in a blink.

Then he walked Taylor Ward and grooved a fastball up and in to Cal Raleigh, who walked in hitting a robust .159 and deposited it in the right-field seats. 5-1, and we were 24 pitches into the night.

That’s how fast it went sideways and it just kept going.

Bases loaded in the third, run home on a wild pitch. Back out for the fifth at 94 pitches, and Seattle just kept teeing off. Raleigh went deep AGAIN, Cole Young added another, and the final line was flat-out brutal: four-plus innings, eight runs, four homers, five walks.

It’s the first start in Phillies HISTORY where a guy gave up at least four homers and walked five. The eight runs tied Wheeler’s career high. When you’re setting franchise firsts for the wrong reasons, you know it was a disaster.

J.T.! pic.twitter.com/AKSVPtKJu9

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 25, 2026

Zack Wheeler is in the Trust Tree. We’re Fine.

Here’s where I stop the bus before this fanbase collectively loses its mind, because I know exactly how we operate around here.

Was it ugly? Hideous.

Has Wheeler now given up four-plus runs in four of his last six, with the walks becoming the loud, annoying part of the skid? Yep.

I’m not going to sit here and tell you that’s nothing, however I’m not going to bitch about Zack Wheeler over one bad month. The man didn’t go hunting for excuses after the game, and, crucially, both he and the Phillies shot down any notion that this is a health or endurance thing.

This is a guy who had thoracic outlet surgery last year and came back to fire a 2.16 ERA over his first 16 starts while pitching himself into the NL Cy Young conversation. THAT’S the real Zack Wheeler. That’s the best pitcher in baseball since he got here, and one bad August stretch doesn’t rewrite five years of dominance.

The Trust Tree doesn’t get chopped down over a few clunkers in the Dog Days. He’ll get right. I’ve got zero doubt.

No Denying The Timing Isn’t Great Though…

The Phillies didn’t have Wheeler last October, and their cleanest path to a 2022-style run this year goes straight through the big three so getting him back to being him isn’t a luxury, it’s the whole ballgame.

The timing’s a little uncomfortable because the other two haven’t exactly been vintage lately either. Cristopher Sanchez has a 3.84 ERA and 1.37 WHIP over his last 13 starts, and Luzardo just gave up four in his last outing too.

The difference in those games is that the offense bailed them out and found a way. Monday, that just didn’t happen. The Phillies scratched runs across in each of the first two innings against Logan Gilbert and then went completely silent the rest of the way.

When the ace lays an egg AND the bats go quiet, you get a 9-2 disaster. It happens.

Phillies will hand Aaron Nola the ball tonight

The good news is the streak was awesome while it lasted, nine straight, three straight series sweeps, and this team is still playing the best baseball in the sport. One loss to the Mariners doesn’t undo any of that. You’re not going to win them all, and if you’re going to drop one, drop it early on the West Coast and move on.

Again, I hate trips out west… but we’ll see.

Gonna be a long week in the PNW

— Drew Smith (@drewmsmith) August 25, 2026

Now Aaron Nola gets the ball Tuesday, and the man has been surging, knuckle curve back and dealing. He draws George Kirby, who’s been getting knocked around, 11 earned runs over his last two starts.

That sets up nicely for a bounce-back. So shake off the dud, let Wheeler stew on it and come back angry next time, and get right back to winning series.

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