Philadelphia, PA – The Philadelphia Phillies secured a 10-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday, but the win was overshadowed by tension between the team’s ace and its interim manager.
Zack Wheeler, the Phillies’ co-ace and the highest-paid pitcher in baseball this season with a $42 million salary, was visibly upset after being pulled from the game with two outs in the fifth inning . Wheeler labored through 4⅔ innings, allowing nine hits and four runs while striking out 10 on 104 pitches in oppressive 96-degree heat at Citizens Bank Park .
The early exit snapped a remarkable streak of 53 consecutive starts in which Wheeler had completed at least five innings, dating back to June 16, 2024.
Wheeler did not hide his displeasure after the game. When asked if he was upset about being removed, he replied, “Yeah, I was upset” .
Asked specifically what bothered him, Wheeler responded, “Getting taken out of the game” .
The right-hander made it clear he believed he had earned the right to finish the inning and complete five frames. “Obviously,” Wheeler said. “I feel like I’ve earned that” .
By not finishing the fifth inning, Wheeler was ineligible for the win, which instead went to reliever Orion Kerkering. Adding to Wheeler’s frustration, reliever Kyle Backhus hit two batters after entering, forcing in a run charged to Wheeler’s line .
When asked if he had discussed the decision with interim manager Don Mattingly, Wheeler said, “Nope.” Asked if he planned to, he replied, “I don’t know”.
Mattingly, who has led the Phillies to a 40-19 record since taking over for the fired Rob Thomson on April 28, defended his decision when pressed by reporters.
“From my standpoint, I gotta protect, not necessarily him, but he’s at 105 in that inning,” Mattingly said. “If he has a 10-pitch at-bat, he’s at 115 in the fifth inning. This is a long-term kind of situation”.
The interim manager emphasized the broader context of the season and the team’s rotation depth. “I think you guys know, our rotation is obviously a great rotation, but the depth of it is not just filled with four [Paul] Skenes down in the minor leagues ready to pop in and fill the spot,” Mattingly said. “So my job is to make sure that these guys stay available through the course of the season. And we’ve got a long way to go”.
By Thursday morning, Mattingly acknowledged he still hadn’t spoken with Wheeler about the incident. “I don’t think he wants to talk to me yet,” Mattingly said. “Maybe he’ll settle down and talk to me later. But in general, it really doesn’t bother me at all that he’s upset. I think the great ones never want to come out of a game, and he’s no different”.
Mattingly drew on his experience managing Clayton Kershaw in Los Angeles, noting that elite competitors like Wheeler never want to leave the mound early. He lauded Wheeler’s competitiveness while standing by his decision to protect the pitcher for the long haul.
The game featured a matchup of two aces, with Wheeler facing the defending National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes. The Phillies’ offense roughed up Skenes for a career-worst eight earned runs in five innings, raising his ERA to 3.62 .
Wheeler, who entered the game with a stellar 2.03 ERA, saw it rise to 2.36 after the outing—still an exceptional mark. He has made 13 starts since returning from surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome, and the Phillies are 11-2 in those games.
The Phillies have been red-hot since Mattingly took over, climbing to a season-high 11 games over .500 and positioning themselves as serious contenders in the NL East, just 3.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves.
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