Wheeler steels himself for another shot
PHILADELPHIA — Twice before the Phillies have been in this World Series’ predicament. Down three-games-to-two heading on the road for Game 6. Twice before they lost.
In 1993 the end came suddenly, courtesy of Toronto’s Joe Carter’s three-run walkoff homer off Mitch Williams. In 2009 the Yankees again made Pedro Martinez their “Daddy,” with Series MVP Hideki Matsui hitting a homer and knocking in six runs.
But this 2022 Phillies team has already beaten the odds to get this far, coming from being the last National League wild card at 87-75. So don’t tell them they can’t do it.
Especially since they know the Astros were in the same driver’s seat against the Nats three years ago and blew a tire.
At the same time, they know before they can even get to a Game 7 — where the pressure mounts for both teams — they’ve got to win Game 6.
“None of that really matters to me,” said Zack Wheeler, who’ll get the ball, hoping to be more effective than in Game 2 when he was touched up for five runs — four earned in five innings in a 5-2 loss that evened the series at a game apiece. “I’m just trying to go out there and win tomorrow so we can play another day.
“Hopefully we can win this whole thing. That’s our mindset and we got to win tomorrow first. That’s first and foremost right there.”
So Wheeler won’t worry about the fact the Phillies have scored just four runs in their three Series’ losses, while striking out 37 times. Neither will his manager, who says momentum — if there is such a thing — doesn’t really factor in.
“I think in baseball, especially with our team, from game to game I don’t think there’s much momentum,” said Rob Thomson, who indicated either lefthander Ranger Suarez, who pitched five shutout innings in Game 3 or Game 4 loser Aaron Nola, would start a potential seventh game. “We’ve had some tough games, come back the next day and played extremely well.
“But I do think within a game there is momentum.”
Wheeler, like Astros’ starter Framber Valdez, will be going on a full week’s rest since Game 2 when he left after throwing just 69 pitches. There was speculation at the time Wheeler, who missed a month late in the season with tendinitis, was pulled because he was suffering from arm fatigue.
But he downplayed that yesterday, while conceding having the extra rest can only help. His catcher, J.T. Realmuto, says the 32-year-old Wheeler’s track record backs that up. “I think the numbers kind of speak for itself,” said Realmuto, who’s hitless in his last 13 at bats, going back to Game 2, although he was robbed of extra bases by Chas McCormick in the ninth inning Thursday.
“He’s been really good all year long when he has, and really his whole career when he has that extra day of rest,” Realmuto said. “Zack’s a competitor. He’s going to command the strike zone, throw strikes, mix his pitches. But for me, I think the numbers kind of speak for themselves with having that extra day of rest.
“Even in his starts this season, when his velo (velocity) hasn’t necessarily been as high as it always is, he always competes for us. He’s got the stuff to get the job done.”
Wheeler can’t wait, saying he simply needs to forget about what happened last time — or what’s happened the last two games — and focus on the moment at hand.
“From my standpoint, I’m going out there and pitching my game and starting new,”said Wheeler, a deceiving 1-2 in the postseason with a 2.67 ERA who could sue his teammates for nonsupport since they’ve scored just five runs while he’s been on the mound,” Wheeler said.
“I think it just resets. It’s always just making the adjustments that you should be or that you think you should make, but not overcorrecting or over-adjusting at the same time. I’m going to pitch to my strengths and hopefully I command the ball a little bit better this outing. But I take a lot of pride in just trying to be a stopper and give our team one more chance after tomorrow.”
Then it would be all hands on deck for the franchise’s first Game 7 on Sunday.
They hope.