Wheeler blossoms into ace for Phillies
PHILADELPHIA >> Zack Wheeler had a pretty nice — yet injury-hampered— career with the Mets. When he signed a free-agent deal with the Phillies ahead of the 2020 season, Wheeler had never been an All-Star, made a postseason start or pitched 200 innings.
Once a top prospect, Wheeler was no longer necessarily viewed as a difference-maker.
He was considered a second-tier pitcher who could eat innings, strike batters out and be a dependable No. 3-type of starter.
These days in Philly,
NLCS
Today: Diamondbacks at Phillies, 5:07p.m., TBS
Wheeler almost seems like a bargain as the ace of the reigning NL champs.
Wheeler is the Phillies’ most dependable starter as he gets set for Game 1 of the NL Championship Series against Arizona today.
An NL Cy Young Award runner-up in 2021, Wheeler has topped 200 innings once, gone over 200 strikeouts twice and won a pair of playoff games over four seasons since he signed a $118 million, five-year contract.
After he missed the 2015
Notre Dame receiver Chris Tyree outruns USC safety Jaylin Smith for a touchdown on Saturday night.
First, it was a comment on the “trained eye” after the Colorado game, the phrase that’s become a popular arrow in the quiver of a public looking to take aim at USC.
Then, it was the assertion that “a lot of people in the media had their mind made up” about the Trojans’ defense, an emotive speech Tuesday from the Trojans’ head coach digging his heels in and defending his group after a pair of rough performances.
Then, after a 48-20 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday night, it was remarks that
the concept of a few plays going their way and razorthin margins were “difficult to understand on the outside.”
It’s become abundantly clear, with public optimism over this USC football team this season dwindling, that Lincoln Riley’s mentality is simple: us vs. them.
“The most important thing for this locker room right now,” Riley said postgame Saturday, in a fairly strong display of passion, “is going to be ignoring all