Zack Wheeler Threw Six Shutout Innings and the Phillies Still Almost Lost to Miami

The Philadelphia Phillies are slowly clawing their way back from a nightmare start, and they've got Don Mattingly calling the shots now. After getting torched early in the season (remember that 9-19 record?), the Phillies took down the Marlins 6-5 on Friday night in Miami, extending their winning streak to four straight games under their interim manager.

Right-hander Zack Wheeler was the real story here. In just his second start of the year, he shut down Miami's lineup completely, allowing only one run over six innings. Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm, two veteran hitters who've been struggling all season, came through with huge hits when they mattered. That's what Mattingly is counting on right now. "There are so many guys with track records here that you know are going to hit," he said after the game.

The Pitching Staff Finally Looking Like Themselves

Here's the thing: the Phillies have leaned on their starting pitching for years. It wasn't pretty early on, but Mattingly sees the turnaround happening now. "It seems like over the past few years the starting pitching has been the strength, and there was times, obviously earlier this year, it wasn't as good as you'd like," Mattingly said. "But it's starting to iron itself out."

Wheeler's take after the win tells you everything about how the Phillies view their climb back into this thing. "We've got to win ballgames. You can't get too far behind. The Braves are a really good team, and they're already a good bit ahead in the National League East. So we've got some catching up to do, but we're playing better baseball right now. And like I said, it starts with the staff."

Painter Looks to Bounce Back Against Meyer Saturday

The Phillies will go for their fifth straight win on Saturday afternoon when they face Miami again. Andrew Painter takes the mound for Philadelphia, looking to recover from a rough outing. The 23-year-old right-hander got knocked around last time out against Atlanta on April 24, giving up five runs in 5 2/3 innings. He allowed nine hits, walked two, and struck out just one in that 5-3 loss. Painter will be facing the Marlins for the first time.

Miami sends Max Meyer to the hill. The right-hander is 1-0 with a 3.30 ERA and has allowed three runs or less in all six of his starts. Most recently he threw five innings against San Francisco on Sunday, giving up just an unearned run in a no-decision loss.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.