Overview
- Wheeler, after Monday’s start at T-Mobile Park, allowed eight runs on nine hits in four innings, threw 103 pitches, and gave up four home runs as Cal Raleigh hit three.
- Both Wheeler and interim manager Don Mattingly said the right-hander is healthy and that his velocity and pitch movement remain near season norms while his command has faltered.
- Advanced measures show Wheeler’s strikeout rate has stayed strong but his walk rate has surged to roughly 13.4 percent, a shift that has driven a recent spike in his ERA.
- The loss ended Philadelphia’s nine-game winning streak while the bullpen limited further damage and the club remains engaged in the NL East and wild-card race.
- Mattingly emphasized repair through work rather than alarm, and the Phillies will rely on Wheeler to regain command because his effectiveness is central to their postseason hopes.