The Phillies’ season has changed shape, and Zack Wheeler is a big reason why. Philadelphia sends Wheeler to the mound against the Dodgers tonight as its turnaround continues in Los Angeles, with the right-hander carrying a 4-0 record, a 1.67 ERA and a 0.82 WHIP.
That kind of start is why people are searching Phillies Vs Dodgers now. Wheeler has thrown 37.2 innings, has not allowed a run in 13 straight innings and has helped the Phillies win all six of his starts, a sharp contrast to the club that began the year as one of baseball’s worst before firing its manager and climbing back above.500.
The form is real, but so is the challenge. Dodgers hitters are batting.311 against Wheeler over 135 at-bats, and more than half of those plate appearances have come from Freddie Freeman and Miguel Rojas, a reminder that one of the best lineups in the game has seen him well. Wheeler does not qualify for any league lead because he has not reached enough innings yet, but the numbers he has put up this season still point to a pitcher driving results every time he takes the ball.
Justin Wrobleski starts for Los Angeles, giving the Dodgers a pitcher who has gone 6-2 with a 3.07 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP, even though he has allowed 14 earned runs over his past 19.2 innings. Philadelphia has seen him five times and managed only four hits, so this game carries a second layer of friction: the Phillies’ hottest starter faces a lineup that has hit him, while the Phillies themselves have struggled to solve the man on the other side. The Dodgers are 16 games above.500 and have matched their 18-10 record at home and on the road, which is why this meeting feels like more than just another stop in the schedule.
Wheeler has made Philadelphia’s rebound believable, but tonight asks the sharper question: can he keep that run going against a Dodgers order that has already done damage against him?
