<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-zack-wheeler-take-soto-after-win');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ Zack Wheeler’s blunt take on Juan Soto battle after beating Mets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Zach-Wheeler-2.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Ross-Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>Phillies’ Zack Wheeler’s blunt take on Juan Soto battle after beating Mets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-21T06:43:54-07:00">June 21st, 6:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-21T06:43:54-07:00">June 21st, 6:43am</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies surged into sole possession of first place in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-jt-realmuto-nick-castellanos-insane-base-running-feat-mets">NL East standings with a decisive 10-2 victory</a> over their division rivals, the New York Mets, Friday night. Amid this important series, ace Zack Wheeler provided valuable innings, pitching five scoreless frames and demonstrating why he’s among baseball’s top pitchers.</p><p>After the crucial divisional victory, Wheeler gave his candid thoughts on battling Juan Soto, now with the Mets, amplifying the intensity of this classic NL East rivalry. Soto and Wheeler have squared off numerous times over the years, dating back to Soto’s tenure with the Washington Nationals, highlighting a respected competition between two top-tier talents in the sport.</p><p>SNY Mets posted Wheeler’s reflections on X, formerly known as Twitter, highlighting the pitcher’s appreciation for these competitive matchups.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"He's a competitor. I'm a competitor. I always enjoy facing him."</p><p>Zack Wheeler talks about having Juan Soto back in the NL East, this time with the Mets: <a href="https://t.co/Tp6VmdAizm">pic.twitter.com/Tp6VmdAizm</a></p><p>— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) <a href="https://twitter.com/SNY_Mets/status/1936255307254043125?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“He’s a competitor. I’m a competitor. I always enjoy facing him.”</p><p>This <a href="https://x.com/SNY_Mets/status/1936255307254043125" rel="noopener">mutual respect</a> adds another compelling layer to the long-standing rivalry between the Phillies and Mets. Despite Wheeler’s sharp outing, the win went to Tanner Banks (2-0), who held New York in check after reliever Taijuan Walker faltered in relief.</p><p>Philadelphia’s offense exploded in a pivotal seventh inning. Key hits from Nick Castellanos and Bryson Stott, who delivered a bases-clearing triple, ultimately buried New York’s hopes. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-zack-wheeler-makes-history-1000th-strikeout">Wheeler’s composed outing, however, set the foundation</a>, underscoring his critical role as the Phillies ace.</p><p>This season has further solidified Wheeler’s reputation in baseball, boasting a stellar 2.61 ERA, placing him among the leaders in the National League. With each start, the right-hander continues to demonstrate his value, anchoring Philadelphia’s pitching staff as they strive toward a division title.</p><p>Meanwhile, Soto struggled to make an impact Friday, going hitless with two walks. Currently mired in a slump, Soto is batting just .174 over his past seven games. Nevertheless, Wheeler acknowledged the unique challenge Soto presents, reflecting the respectful yet competitive nature of their frequent battles in the NL East.</p><p>The victory was a statement for the Phillies, now leading by a narrow margin in the increasingly competitive NL East standings. The Mets, meanwhile, are spiraling, dropping their seventh consecutive game, highlighting a stark contrast in momentum within this division rivalry.</p><p>The Phillies’ performance underscores their dominance in recent weeks, now winning eight of their last nine. However, the respect Wheeler shows Soto emphasizes Philadelphia’s cautious optimism, aware of the talent and potential threat the Mets still possess. With many divisional matchups still to play, the fierce Mets rivalry will undoubtedly remain a compelling narrative in the MLB season ahead.</p><p>As the series continues, expect Wheeler to maintain his crucial leadership role, shaping the Phillies’ pursuit of a NL East title and World Series run in a competitive 2025 MLB landscape.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ Zack Wheeler’s blunt take on Juan Soto battle after beating Mets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-zack-wheeler-makes-history-1000th-strikeout');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ Zack Wheeler makes history with 1,000th strikeout');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Zack-Wheeler-of-the-Philadelphia-Phillies.jpg"><figcaption>Dennis Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Phillies’ Zack Wheeler makes history with 1,000th strikeout</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-09T17:45:53-07:00">June 9th, 5:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-09T17:45:53-07:00">June 9th, 5:45pm</time><address><a>Benedetto Vitale</a>Benedetto Vitale is an avid sports writer who is an expert at covering the NFL, college football, NBA, and UFC. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2016 with a film degree but has since dedicated his career to sports writing.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-philadelphia-prospect-andrew-painter-2025-mlb-season">Philadelphia Phillies are taking on</a> the Chicago Cubs on Monday, as the team tries to earn its 38th win on the season. Zack Wheeler took the mound to start the contest, and his dominant display led to him making franchise history.</p><p>In the top of the sixth inning with no outs, the 35-year-old pitcher threw a four-seam fastball down and away. He got Cubs’ outfielder Kyle Tucker to swing and miss, recording the first out of the inning. However, that strikeout was Wheeler’s <a href="https://x.com/MLB/status/1932230398303490461" rel="noopener">1,000th of his career</a>, making him just the 10th player in franchise history to reach the 1,000 strikeout mark.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Zack Wheeler becomes the 10th player in franchise history to collect 1,000 career strikeouts as a member of the <a href="https://twitter.com/Phillies?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Phillies</a> 😤 <a href="https://t.co/TxE9RMi7Ss">pic.twitter.com/TxE9RMi7Ss</a></p><p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1932230398303490461?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Zack Wheeler made his debut with the Phillies in the 2020 season after spending five seasons with the New York Mets. He’s been one of the best pitchers on the team for years, and Monday’s achievement proves it. Teammate Aaron Nola is the only other active pitcher on the team who has achieved the same feat.</p><p>This is another nice accolade for Wheeler, as he’s been solid throughout most of his career. The 2025 campaign is no different, as Zack Wheeler owns a 2.96 ERA (pending Monday’s game) and 0.921 WHIP (pending Monday’s game) while recording 101 strikeouts.</p><p>The two-time All-Star played six full innings on Monday before being called off the mound. He ended the day with seven strikeouts while allowing three hits, a walk, and one earned run. That’s a solid showing for the Phillies’ pitcher, especially against a Cubs team that’s been good so far this season.</p><p>We shouldn’t expect to see Wheeler go anywhere anytime soon. Despite being a true veteran of the sport, he signed a three-year, $126 million contract in the offseason. He’s set to remain with the Phillies through the 2027 season. That <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/mlb-rumors-phillies-mariners-cubs-padres-aggressive-trade-deadline-buyers">gives Zack Wheeler a chance</a> to continue racking up his strikeout totals in Philadelphia for quite some time.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ Zack Wheeler makes history with 1,000th strikeout

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-philadelphia-skipping-zack-wheeler-starting-rotation');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Phillies are ‘skipping’ Zack Wheeler in starting rotation');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Zack-Wheeler-before-Phillies-Rays-game.jpg"><figcaption>Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Phillies are ‘skipping’ Zack Wheeler in starting rotation</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-02T11:46:49-07:00">June 2nd, 11:46am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-02T11:46:49-07:00">June 2nd, 11:46am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies are <a href="https://x.com/MattGelb/status/1929603849376952736" rel="noopener">reportedly “skipping”</a> Zack Wheeler’s spot in the starting rotation since his wife is “due any day,” Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.</p><p>“Phillies are adjusting their rotation at Toronto this week; they’re skipping Zack Wheeler for now because his wife is due any day,” Gelb wrote on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>Gelb also reports that with Wheeler’s turn in the rotation being skipped this week, Philadelphia will start Cristopher Sanchez on Tuesday, Mick Abel on Wednesday and Jesus Luzardo on Thursday against the Toronto Blue Jays.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-rob-thomson-gives-zack-wheeler-ultimate-superstar-treatment">Wheeler is one of the best pitchers in the sport</a>. The 35-year-old star hurler has pitched to a 2.96 ERA across a league leading 76 innings of work in 2025. He has also recorded 94 strikeouts as well as 12 starts, which is the most outings among starting pitchers in the league as of this story’s writing.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/zack-wheeler-dominates-rockies-sets-phillies-franchise-record">Zack Wheeler is a true workhorse</a>. He has made exactly 32 starts in each of the past two seasons. Wheeler has also made at least 26 starts in each year since 2021.</p><p>However, the Phillies certainly understand Wheeler having to miss his upcoming start given the circumstances as the ball club plays the Blue Jays on the road. Philadelphia will also play the Pirates in Pittsburgh over the weekend, so Wheeler would have had to have been away from his family for a significant amount of time had he traveled with the ball club.</p><p>Wheeler has played a pivotal role in the team’s impressive 36-23 start. Philadelphia currently trails the New York Mets by one game in the National League East division. Zack Wheeler will look to continue to pitch at a high level once he returns as Philadelphia hopes to capture first place once again.</p><p>For now, the Phillies will prepare for their road trip without the star pitcher in the rotation.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Phillies are ‘skipping’ Zack Wheeler in starting rotation

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-rob-thomson-gives-zack-wheeler-ultimate-superstar-treatment');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ Rob Thomson gives Zack Wheeler ultimate superstar treatment');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Philadelphia-Phillies-starting-pitcher-Zack-Wheeler.jpg"><figcaption>Dennis Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Phillies’ Rob Thomson gives Zack Wheeler ultimate superstar treatment</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-29T12:49:51-07:00">May 29th, 12:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-29T12:49:51-07:00">May 29th, 12:49pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Braves</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson won their series opener against the Atlanta Braves 2-0 on Tuesday. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-bryce-harper-injury-status-game-1-braves-doubleheader">While the health of Bryce Harper is the top concern for the Phillies</a>, their ace also turned heads. Ahead of Thursday’s doubleheader, Thomson and ace pitcher Zack Wheeler had an interesting conversation concerning the pitching schedule for the day, featuring him and Christopher Sanchez.</p><p>Wheeler approached Thomson and asked him if it was too late for him to request a switch starts with Sanchez. The Phillies manager’s <a href="https://x.com/ScottLauber/status/1928121644641317188" rel="noopener">response was simple</a>, according to Philadelphia Inquirer writer Scott Lauber.</p><p>“You can do whatever you want,” said Thomson. “You’re Zack Wheeler.”</p><p>The star treatment given to Wheeler is well-earned. The 34-year-old has been one of the best pitchers in the league for the past decade. Excluding this season, Wheeler notched at least 10 wins in seven of his 11 years in the majors. With a 6-1 record heading into his start on Thursday, he is in the middle of the Cy Young conversation in the National League.</p><p>Sanchez started the first game of the doubleheader, pitching 5.2 innings and handing a lead to Philadelphia’s bullpen. Every game between the Braves and Phillies is important as Atlanta tries to fight their way back into the race in the NL East. The Braves got a boost with Ronald Acuna Jr.’s return, but they trail by a big margin.</p><p>Thomson’s team has a slight lead over the New York Mets for the division lead. However, the race could come down to the final games of the regular season <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/dave-dombrowski-sends-dogfight-warning-to-phillies">between Philadelphia and their rivals</a>. For now, though, the Phillies enjoy their spot at the top of the NL.</p><p>Wheeler might have gotten what he wanted with his switch in the pitching order, but his reward is a matchup against Chris Sale. Philadelphia’s ace will clash with the NL’s 2024 Cy Young winner on Tuesday evening. While it may not have been his intention, a good showing against Sale and Atlanta could be a big boost.</p><p>Ironically, Wheeler’s biggest competition for the award is his teammate, Jesus Luzardo. Regardless of how his start goes, Wheeler, Sanchez, Luzardo, and the rest of Thomson’s rotation is one of the best in MLB. The Phillies fell short of expectations in 2024. This year, they have another chance to make a deep run in 2025 behind their ace.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Phillies’ Rob Thomson gives Zack Wheeler ultimate superstar treatment

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-zack-wheeler-comes-to-teammates-rescue-after-security-mixup');   ga('set', 'title', 'Phillies’ Zack Wheeler comes to teammate’s rescue after security mixup');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Philadelphia-Phillies-starting-pitcher-Zach-Wheeler.jpg"><figcaption>Eric Hartline-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Phillies’ Zack Wheeler comes to teammate’s rescue after security mixup</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-05-22T18:30:11-07:00">May 22nd, 6:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-05-23T10:11:25-07:00">May 23rd, 10:11am</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia Phillies wrapped up a series sweep over the Colorado Rockies with a 2-0 win on Thursday. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/philadelphia-phillies/phillies-news-jesus-luzardo-stunning-mlb-feat-last-done-1995-randy-johnson">Philadelphia has enjoyed stellar play from their starting rotation</a> and got another unexpected boost on Thursday. Phillies ace Zack Wheeler didn’t pitch during the series but came in for the save when outfielder Johan Rojas was stopped by security at Coors Field.</p><p>Rojas went into the stands to make a phone call and stadium security <a href="https://x.com/MattGelb/status/1925606315470332205" rel="noopener">didn’t let him back on the field</a>, according to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb. Wheeler came over and remedied the situation, getting the 24-year-old back onto the field.</p><p>He has received praise for being a leader on the team and helping those around him improve, but his latest heroics helped him have an impact without playing in the game.</p><p>Wheeler has been one of the leaders for Thomson’s team since arriving in 2020. While his focus is on working with his fellow pitchers, young players across the roster appreciate him. His veteran presence is a big help to them as they navigate through the early years of their career.</p><p>Rojas has done a good job filling in for Brandon Marsh in center fielder when the veteran has needed rest. After playing in 120 games last season, Rojas has earned Thomson’s trust and is a consistent presence for the Phillies.</p><p>Philadelphia extended their winning streak to seven games with Thursday’s win over the Rockies in Colorado. It is their longest streak of the season, and they hope to keep the momentum going against the Athletics. Thomson has Wheeler starting the opening game, hoping that his ace can pitch his team to another win.</p><p>Every game counts for the Phillies, who are trying to put some distance between themselves and the New York Mets. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-carlos-mendoza-hits-juan-soto-warning-lack-hustle">Philadelphia’s rival is dealing with drama surrounding Juan Soto</a>, but the gap between the two teams is just three games.</p><p>In order for the Phillies to make another deep run in the NL, Thomson needs Wheeler to keep being a hero, whether he is on the  mound or not.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
42	3.86	13	1.21	0

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
42	3.86	13	1.21	0

Zack Wheeler

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Phillies’ Zack Wheeler comes to teammate’s rescue after security mixup

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