Zack Wheeler went to a full count against back-to-back hitters only to walk both and load the bases. His pitch count climbed above 100 on a hot, sticky afternoon.
And rookie reliever Alex McFarlane was ready.
Easy call, right?
Maybe in the playoffs, assuming the Phillies get in, Don Mattingly will act like most managers and be aggressive with the bullpen. Not yet, though. And come to think of it, maybe never. Not with three starting horses who are easier to trust on fumes than any of his fresh relievers.
So, Mattingly stuck with Wheeler, who slung a sweeper to escape the seventh inning Thursday, only to watch star closer Jhoan Duran give up a tiebreaking homer to the Astros’ Cam Smith in the ninth in a dud of a 2-1 loss to cap a homestand that felt, well, meh.
“Playoff situation, you’re usually not letting your guys roll like that,” Mattingly said after pushing Wheeler to 110 pitches. “You’ve got to be more careful. But right now, I think he was the best guy for that situation today.”
If Wheeler could’ve thrown 130 pitches, he would’ve been the best choice beyond the seventh inning, too, just as Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo would when they start.
Let’s get back to that. First, a check of the standings: The Phillies slid to four games behind the division-leading Braves before hopping on a flight to Atlanta for three games that would’ve felt so much more like a showdown if the deficit was only three games.
Instead, the Braves could finish 7-8 and the Phillies would have to go 12-3 to overtake them.
Not impossible, but also not likely, considering they alternated losses and wins during a 3-4 homestand and haven’t won consecutive games since a six-game roll from Aug. 26 to Sept. 1.
But the Phillies still lead the Cubs by one game for the top National League wild card, which brings the benefit of playing the best-of-three first-round miniseries at home.
“We want to play at home,” Bryce Harper said. “It’s a huge advantage in the postseason, just hearing it from other players coming into here and playing in this environment. We expect our crowds to be loud and crazy and obnoxious and talk the crap that they do to other players. I think it plays a huge part.”
In that case, it would behoove the Phillies to play well over the next nine games in Atlanta, Washington, and New York.
And it sure feels like they wasted an opportunity in the finale against the Astros.
Despite not getting a hit through four innings against Astros righty Cristian Javier (remember him from the combined no-hitter in Game 5 of the 2022 World Series?), the Phillies tied it in the fifth on Luis Arraez’s leadoff single, Alec Bohm’s double, and a fielder’s choice.
Wheeler recorded his third consecutive solid start after his roughest six-start stretch in seven seasons with the Phillies. But after striking out the side on 16 pitches in the sixth inning, he loaded the bases in the seventh on a leadoff bunt single and back-to-back two-out walks.
The Phillies got McFarlane loose. Did Mattingly consider going to him?
“It’s hard to bring in a kid there, bases loaded,” Mattingly said. “[Wheeler] was throwing the ball good. He felt good. I thought it was his.”
Said Wheeler: “He asked me before the inning if I was good, and I said, ‘Yeah.’ But it’s obviously up to him and his call. You’ve got to respect that. I was able to wiggle out of that, and I appreciate him letting me go out there and get that done.”
Across the sport, managers tend to ask less of starting pitchers in the postseason. Maybe Mattingly’s approach with Wheeler foretells that the Phillies will actually ask Wheeler, Sánchez, and Luzardo — all among the top-10 pitchers in baseball — for more.
“I think a few things probably play into it,” Wheeler said. “Maybe who’s coming up, how much the bullpen’s been used, all that stuff.”
Also, who’s in that bullpen. The Phillies’ main bridge to Duran consists of Jonathan Bowlan (career postseason appearances: zero), erratic lefty José Alvarado, and rookie McFarlane, with Orion Kerkering attempting to get back on the upswing of his roller coaster history.
Even Duran is showing cracks. He hung a splinker — his signature splitter/sinker hybrid — to Smith, who hit only the second homer against him all season. It came a few days after he gave up a hard-hit double and triple and gave up a go-ahead run in the ninth inning against the Braves.
“I feel good,” said Duran, who likely will be asked to get more than three outs in his postseason appearances. “I feel much better than when I started the season. I feel really good right now.”
In any case, Mattingly’s best bet may be to push the starters, at least until it’s time for Duran.
Wheeler conceded that 110 pitches in September often feels different than it would in April.
“Today it felt like that, just because it was hot and that last inning I worked a little bit more,” he said. “Some days are different than others.”
There may be more days like this for the Phillies’ big three starters. Their ability to hold up could determine if the Phillies host a wild-card series — and, ultimately, how far beyond that they advance.
“It’s big, you know?” Wheeler said. “There’s nothing like playing here in the playoffs. It’s probably the best atmosphere there is. To be able to host and play here, it’s important.”
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