Are the Phillies finally starting to show signs of life after a rough stretch? Friday night brought another encouraging development, as Philadelphia edged the Marlins 6–5 to secure its fourth straight win since the managerial change. Just as important, Zack Wheeler looked much like the frontline starter the team has long relied on.
Wheeler was making only his second start since returning from a thoracic outlet procedure related to a blood clot in his shoulder, a condition that required the removal of one of his ribs. He delivered six strong innings, pushed his pitch count to 94, and finished with eight strikeouts and two walks, allowing just one run on three hits.
While the stat line was impressive, Wheeler’s dominance became more evident as the game went on. The only run he allowed came in the first inning on consecutive doubles. From that point forward, he was nearly untouchable, giving up just one hit over the next five scoreless innings—an infield single. Between the third and fifth innings, he looked especially sharp, striking out six batters during that stretch.
There had been questions about whether his velocity would fully return, but those concerns eased quickly. His sinker consistently sat in the mid-90s, averaging 94.5 mph, while his four-seam fastball averaged 94.0. Those numbers are slightly below last season’s averages but still well within a comfortable range.
Wheeler’s breaking pitches also showed good life. Although his command wasn’t quite there early on, flashes of his peak form began to appear in the middle innings. From the third through the sixth, he passed the eye test, looking confident and explosive while generating 14 swings and misses.
Phillies finding momentum after managerial change
The Phillies dismissed manager Rob Thomson earlier in the week while sitting at 9–19, their worst position at that point in a season since 2017. Given that the club won 96 games last year, the move wasn’t entirely shocking. Veteran baseball figure Don Mattingly took over, and the team has responded with four straight victories.
It’s still a small sample size, and skeptics will note that the recent wins came against the Giants and Marlins. That said, before the change, Philadelphia went 1–11 while facing a demanding schedule that included top-tier teams like the Cubs and Braves. Scheduling cuts both ways.
There is still plenty of work ahead. Even at 13–19 through 32 games, this remains the Phillies’ worst start since 2017, and the bullpen nearly let Friday’s game slip away after a 6–1 lead dwindled to a one-run margin by the final out.
Even so, the combination of a four-game winning streak and the return of a strong version of Wheeler at the front of the rotation offers real optimism. It’s a promising first step as the Phillies attempt to climb out of the hole they dug early in the season.