All hands will be on deck in a win-or-go-home NLCS Game 7 for the Philadelphia Phillies, and it sounds like that may include Zack Wheeler being available out of the bullpen against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Ranger Suárez will toe the rubber for the Phillies in Game 7, and his 0.64 ERA in 14 innings should give manager Rob Thomson a good feeling about his team’s chances to advance to the World Series.
Still, Suárez probably isn’t going to throw a complete-game shutout, and with Thomson’s list of trustworthy relievers increasingly short, Wheeler may need to play a factor in helping the Phillies secure their second consecutive NL pennant.
“I would think so. It’s going to be all hand on deck. Everybody but [Aaron] Nola,” Thomson said after Game 6 when asked whether Wheeler would be available for Game 7.
Wheeler hadn’t yet spoken to Thomson when he chatted with a few media members after Game 6, but seemed on board for coming out of the bullpen if the team needs him to help defeat the Diamondbacks.
“We’ll have that talk. We haven’t had it yet,” Wheeler said. “I usually throw my bullpen tomorrow, though, so maybe it will work out.”
Between the regular and postseason, Wheeler has made 237 career starts in the majors. He’s never come out of the bullpen in the majors, and estimated that the last time he pitched in relief was “probably Low-A.”
Still, it’s scary to imagine Wheeler’s stuff playing up a bit if he knew he was only coming in for an inning, rather than trying to last for seven or eight innings. And the Phillies are short on reliable bullpen options right now, particularly right-handed ones given the struggles of both Craig Kimbrel and Orion Kerkering in the NLCS. If Suárez, for whatever reason, only goes five innings in Game 7, Wheeler could be an intriguing bullpen option to mix in with José Alvarado, Matt Strahm and Jeff Hoffman.
And Wheeler seems prepared for the challenge of something new, if it presents itself.
“Yeah, I mean, I haven’t done it before. Like I said, we’ll have to have that conversation, but I normally do throw the bullpen tomorrow,” Wheeler said. “Bullpens are usually a good day for me for some reason, so if he asks me to do it, I’ll be down there for sure.”
Wheeler estimated that he throws anywhere from 15 to 40 pitches during a bullpen session, which should certainly allow him to pitch an inning if need be. And the 33-year-old doesn’t believe that pitching out of the bullpen Tuesday would prevent him from starting Game 1 of the World Series on Friday, should the Phillies make it that far.
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