Conforto powers Mets
He has 6 RBIS, a triple short of cycle on his big night at Philadelphia
If this was it for Zack Wheeler, he finished strong and — probably most importantly — healthy.
Wheeler pitched seven solid innings for his career-best 12th win in what may have been his final start of the season, Michael Conforto had a career-high six RBIS and the New York Mets beat the fading Philadelphia Phillies 9-4 on Monday night.
Wheeler (12-7) allowed four runs and three hits to become the first Mets pitcher since Steve Trachsel in 2001 to record nine wins after the All-star Game. Since the break, the right-hander is 9-1 with a 1.68 ERA in 11 starts.
“Probably the best pitcher in baseball the last 1½ months,” Mets manager Mickey Callaway said.
Callaway wants to be cautious with Wheeler and said he would discuss with Mets management whether he makes another start.
The right-hander is three innings shy of his career best, the 1851/3 he threw in 2014 before injuries halted his promising career. Wheeler didn’t pitch at all in 2015 or 2016 following Tommy John surgery, and he was limited to 861/3 innings last season due to a stress reaction in his pitching arm.
“We want to make sure we’re taking care of the player,” Callaway said.
Wheeler is relieved to be pitching and feeling so well.
“It’s been smooth sailing for the most part this year,” he said.
Asked if he wanted to continue
to pitch, Wheeler said, “Still feeling good. It’s not my call. I’ll leave it up to those guys.”
Conforto, after a rocky start, also is feeling good. The Mets outfielder already has 22 RBIS this month, giving him 75 for the season.
“If I put the work in and stayed positive, I knew at some point it would come around,” he said. “It feels like I’m not searching so much. It took five months I guess, but I finally got it.”
Conforto had a two-run single in the fifth, an RBI double in the seventh and a three-run homer in the ninth for the Mets, who have won 7 of 11 and are 26-17 over their past 43 games. Conforto has 45 RBIS since the All-star break, second most in the NL over that span behind Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich.
“This is the Michael Conforto everyone wants to see,” Callaway said. “This is one of the better players in the league when he’s going like this.”
The Phillies, as a team, have been heading in the opposite direction.
J.P. Crawford had a three-run triple for the Phillies, whose slim playoff chances took another hit. Philadelphia is 6½ games back of first-place Atlanta in the NL East and five games out of the wild card. The Phillies have lost 8 of 11.
Conforto’s two-out double in the seventh off Tommy Hunter (4-3) snapped a 4-all tie and helped the Mets continue their mastery of Philadelphia.
Wheeler didn’t allow a hit until Wilson Ramos’ leadoff single in the fifth that caromed off the glove of diving second baseman Jeff Mcneil and into short right field. Wheeler then gave up a single to Nick Williams and hit Odubel Herrera with a pitch to load the bases. Crawford cleared them with a triple to right, and Cesar Hernandez’s sacrifice fly scored Crawford to tie it at 4.
The Mets took a 4-0 lead against Jake Arrieta. Austin Jackson’s RBI double in the second got New York on the board.