PITTSBURGH — A sudden burst of heavy rain might have been the only thing capable of stopping Zack Wheeler Friday night in a 2-1 Phillies win over the Pirates.
Wheeler mowed through Pittsburgh's feeble batting order, striking out 12 and allowing one run on three hits over 6⅔ innings. He began the bottom of the seventh at just 71 pitches and it looked like he'd be out there until at least the eighth inning.
Then the skies opened and play was halted with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, a man on first base and a 1-2 count. After a rain delay of approximately 42 minutes, play resumed but the pause was too long for Wheeler to return. The PNC Park grounds crew had a world of trouble covering the infield with the tarp and never had it fully applied. The first base line was uncovered and it took considerable work to get the field back into playable condition, even though the rain ended five minutes after the delay started.
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"We tried to get him to finish that half-inning off but it was just raining so hard that they had to pull (the tarp), and it was raining so hard that they couldn't get it on the field," manager Rob Thomson said. "It is what it is, but he pitched great. I thought his command was great, two-seamer was really good. He gave us what we needed."
Thomson said he would not have gone back to Wheeler even if the rain delay was only 20 pitches, citing Wheeler's pitch count (90) when the game was stopped, his workload this season and the fact that the Phillies have 17 straight games without an off-day.
Jeff Hoffman entered in relief for Wheeler and finished the seventh inning with one pitch. Gregory Soto preserved the lead by inducing an inning-ending double-play ball from the Pirates' best player, Bryan Reynolds, with men on first and second in the eighth and the game on the line. Craig Kimbrel picked up save No. 17.
It was a tense game because the Phillies couldn't capitalize on numerous early opportunities against right-hander Mitch Keller.
Philadelphia Phillies
"Another laugher, huh?" Thomson joked after the Phillies improved to 22-12 in one-run games. Only the Reds, Guardians and Athletics have played more.
They stranded a leadoff double by Kyle Schwarber in the first inning, a one-out double from Bryson Stott in the second and stranded the bases loaded with one out in the fourth. They also stranded the bases loaded with two outs in the ninth inning and Bryce Harper at the plate. He lined out hard to left field on the first pitch.
They scored their two runs on Schwarber's 27th home run of the season, a 406-foot shot to center in the third inning. Schwarber reached base all five times with a double, homer and three walks, one of them to end an 11-pitch plate appearance. He was the designated hitter Friday for the fourth time in the last five games, each of which Harper has started at first base.
Friday was Wheeler's first start with Harper at first. That transition is already paying dividends for the Phils. Their left-field defense is significantly improved. Schwarber beat out an infield single earlier this week. Does that happen if he's running around in left? He's driven in a run in three of the last five games.
"I do think he's moving around a lot better," Thomson said of Schwarber. "Just getting off his feet every other day, I think he's running better, he's running smoother."
Harper is expected to start at first base in two of the three games at beautiful PNC Park this weekend. He'll either start there Saturday night or Sunday afternoon, DH'ing in the other game.
Wheeler touched 98 mph in the first inning and hit 97 six times, also topping out at 93 with a slider that had averaged 88. He mowed through an overmatched Pirates team that is 25-50 since April 30 and ranks in the bottom three of baseball in batting average, OPS and runs per game this month.
Wheeler is 8-5 with a 3.74 ERA in 21 starts. He's struck out 146 and walked 24 for the best ratio in the league. The Phillies' ace has been locked in since the All-Star break, allowing just five runs and 15 baserunners in 20⅔ innings. The Phils are 8-1 in his last nine starts and the only loss was a 1-0 game last weekend when the Guardians scored their lone run on a defensive miscue.
At 56-47, the Phillies end the night in a playoff spot, no more than a half-game back of the top wild-card. They have Aaron Nola on the mound Saturday night against this meek Pirates offense.
"When you win close games, I think it's good for a team," Thomson said. "It builds character and it shows a little bit of toughness of what you're all about. You don't want to play them every day, but the more playoff-like games you can play, I think you learn from them."
After finishing in Pittsburgh, the Phillies have a four-game series in Miami against the skidding Marlins. They come home to face the lowly Royals and Nationals. From August 4 through August 30, the Phils have 19 of 24 games at home.
"Whenever you go on the road, the odds are a little bit stacked against you," Schwarber said. "Definitely can make headway on the road trip."