Final Score: Phillies 5, Rangers 2
One of these days, the Philadelphia Phillies are probably going to show up at the park and no longer be playing at the greatest pace in franchise history.
That day wasn’t Thursday, though, as the Phillies rode big days from Cristian Pache and J.T. Realmuto — along with a typically strong start from Zack Wheeler — to a sweep of the Texas Rangers. In fact, the Phillies swept out consecutive series, as they won all three games against the Washington Nationals last weekend before welcoming the defending World Champion Rangers to town this week. Overall, they went 7-1 on this homestand.
In what felt like just another day at the office, Wheeler limited the Rangers to five hits and two earned runs across seven innings pitched. On the season, Wheeler now has taken down a league-leading 67 2/3 innings pitched. Across those frames, he’s posted a a 2.53 ERA and 2.91 FIP, numbers that have him on track to make his second career All-Star Game appearance.
Meanwhile, the Phillies will head west with an MLB-best 37-14 record. And increasingly, it feels fair to wonder if the single-season franchise wins record of 102 set in 2011 is in danger.
Highlights
- Adolis García got the scoring started in the top of the second inning, as the flamboyant Texas slugger took Wheeler deep with a 406-foot home run that gave the Rangers a 1-0 lead.
- Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien made a diving stop with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the second inning, gathering himself and throwing Kyle Schwarber out at first base to end the inning.
- J.T. Realmuto evened the score with an opposite-field solo home run in the bottom of the third inning.
- Pache tripled into left-center field in the bottom of the fourth inning, just beyond the outstretched glove of defensive stalwart Evan Carter. Edmundo Sosa and Whit Merrifield both scored, giving the Phillies a 3-1 lead.
- Pache was quickly plated on an RBI single by Schwarber, extending the lead to 4-1.
- With runners on first and second and two outs, Ezequiel Duran lined a ball up the middle that Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott nearly made a highlight-reel catch on. But the ball kicked away from Stott just enough that Nathaniel Lowe was able to score from second base. Wheeler, however, escaped the inning without any additional damage.
- Nick Castellanos provided an insurance run in the form of a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh inning off of Jesús Tinoco:
Ticket IQ Next Game
- Friday, May 24 vs. Colorado Rockies at Coors Field
- 8:40 p.m. ET
- TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
- Radio: SportsRadio 94 WIP
- Spanish Radio: WTTM 1680
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