PHILADELPHIA— “For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out, at the old ball game.”
Take me out to the ball game echos during the seventh inning stretch every home game at Citizens Bank Park. On Saturday afternoon, fans did not have to wait until the seventh for three strikes to appear.
National League Cy Young Award runner-up Zack Wheeler took the mound for the Philadelphia Phillies in their game against the Detroit Tigers. On the other side, Tarik Skubal, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, toed the rubber against the Phillies.
Both pitchers are often compared to one another as they are regarded as two of the best in baseball. Wheeler’s veteran status and repeat success since landing in Philadelphia against the rising young phenom in Skubal. Watching these two competitors battle in a chess match was a sight to behold.
Arms Race
In the first inning, both pitchers showcased their talent. After a leadoff single to Colt Keith, Wheeler sat down the next three batters on strikes. For Skubal, he would start the game off with back to back strikeouts against Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber. Bryce Harper would go the other way with a single, before Skubal got Realmuto to go down swinging. He would match his output from the first inning, striking out the side to end the second inning.
In the top of the third inning, Wheeler would get a second look at the top of the Tigers’ lineup. Keith, who singled in the first, took the Phillies’ ace deep to give Detroit a 1-0 lead. The young infielder did not play on Friday night against Ranger Suarez, but was dialed in against Wheeler. Two batters later, Kerry Carpenter introduced himself to Wheeler also. Taking a sweet swing on a ball that would find the seats in right field.
Wheeler battled back to end the frame and dug in hard for the fourth. He would strike out the side once again, allowing a single to Wenceel Perez. A pair of singles would not phase the veteran in the fifth, notching his ninth strikeout, stranding both runners.
His opponent kept chugging along however. Through five innings, the Tigers’ ace had nine strikeouts and just one hit allowed, as opposed to Wheeler’s seven. The two home run balls were hit hard, but the remaining singles were all weaker contact. Detroit was able to find grass, as the Phillies were unable to connect.
The Phillies’s ace kept fighting, but the Tigers continued to find open grass. Aside from the two home runs allowed, Detroit’s offense found themselves on-base with six additional hits against Wheeler. For the Phillies, they could not keep up with the reigning Cy Young. After Harper’s single, he shut down 14 straight Phillies hitters before Weston Wilson notched a double.
Wheeler would exit in the seventh, but not after allowing a 2-run home run to Javier Baez. Only one run was earned due to an error by Otto Kemp. Wheeler finished with 6 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 10 K, and 3 HRs. He threw 98 pitches, 70 for strikes.
Phillies offense battles back
Now trailing 4-0, the Phillies went to Tanner Banks to try and finish the seventh inning. Banks would get the first batter he faced to roll over to third, but then faced Gleyber Torres. Torres would hit the Tigers’ fourth home run of the game, making it 5-0 Detroit.
In the bottom half of the frame however, the Phillies fought back. Skubal had been cruising but a leadoff single from Harper, his second hit of the game, proved that the club was not facing Cy Young himself. J.T. Realmuto would follow up Harper with an RBI double, scoring the Phillies’ first baseman all the way from his bag at first. Next was Nick Castellanos. The former Tiger drilled a ball to the deepest part of the park, hitting his 15th home run of the season.
Skubal would finish the inning, but not before the damage had been done. The three runs got the Phillies back into the ballgame and they were looking to repeat their late inning heroics once again. The fearsome lefty would finish the outing with 7 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 10 K, and 1 HR.
The curse of 2 strikes
After the momentum had seemingly swung back in the Phillies’ favor, Matt Strahm would enter to pitch the eighth. A quick two outs for Strahm made it feel like the Phillies were about to have a 1-2-3 inning and get the bats back out on the field.
Instead, an 0-2 count quickly became a full count. Strahm could not put away Zach McKinstry, who worked an eight pitch walk. The next batter was Dillon Dingler, who sat with a 2-2 count. Strahm would once again see a batter work a long count as Dingler saw 10 pitches before earning his own walk. The next batter was Baez, who had gone deep his last time up.
Baez would battle the Philies’ left-handed reliever and ultimately win. A triple down the left field line would score both McKinstry and Dingler, making it a 7-3 ballgame.
Jordan Romano would enter the game with 2-outs. Romano would face one batter as the Phillies headed to the bottom of the eighth.
Harper Hits Home
Brandon Marsh would enter the game as pinch hitter for Wilson to start the eighth inning.
A pinch hit single would get a potential rally started, giving the top of the order a chance. However, both Turner and Schwarber would go down on strikes to Tigers’ reliever, Will Vest. After two quick outs, up stepped Harper, who had two hits against Skubal, looked to keep his club in the game. Sitting back on one, Harper pierced an opposite field home run to left-center, bringing home Marsh and putting the Phillies back into striking distance.
After a 1-2-3 top of the ninth, the Phillies had a chance to climb back into the game.
Newly arrived Harrison Bader led off, looking for his first hit as a Philadelphia Phillie. Bader worked a 3-1 count, but grounded out to Baez at short for the first out. The next batter was Kemp, who looked overmatched by newly acquired reliever, Kyle Finnegan. The former National is no stranger to close games at Citizens Bank Park. Kemp went down on strikes, leaving the Phillies with just one out to work with.
The final batter was Bryson Stott. Stott was entering the game for Edmundo Sosa and was the last chance for Philly. The Philies’ second baseman weakly skied out to left field, ending the ballgame.
Notes & Quotes
After the game, Rob Thomson spoke about the start that his ace put together.
On the three home runs allowed by Wheeler, Thomson stated “Well just missed location, I do think since the complete game, its probably the best game he has had [with] his strike throwing ability.” He would later comment on the pitches that left the park. “The pitch to Keith was kind of yanked [on the] inner third. Carpenter‘s home run was a four-seam up probably the top of the zone. He put a good swing on it. Then Baez, just jumped him, two-seam up.”
The Philies’ skipper also commented on what he saw from Skubal during the matchup saying “Oh, it’s brilliant stuff. I mean, fastball movement, it’s got a lot of carry. [His] change ups [a] really good pitch. He’s going to come after you with a lot of strikes.”
Thomson also spoke briefly on the fight that his team showed. Being down 5-0 with what should be a back to back Cy Young award winner on the mound, the Phillies could have packed up early and went home. Instead they battled and their skipper acknowledged the fight. “I love it. They just kept coming. You know, that’s what this team does. I don’t think they ever believe that they’re out of the ball game. They just kept fighting even with Skubal out there. So that’s good to see. [Let us] put this behind us and come out here tomorrow and win a series.”
A rubber match between the two will be featured on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball. Prior to the game, the 1950 Whiz Kids will be honored along with other Phillies’ alumni. It is the 75th anniversary of the pennant winning team from the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
