Zack Wheeler's clutch Wild Card game garners high praise from Phillies' Bryce Harper - "There is nobody else I'd rather have on the mound"

Zack Wheeler had an outstanding game, striking out eight while maintaining his team's lead with a crucial strikeout as the Philadelphia Phillies began their postseason with a solid win.

They beat the Miami Marlins 4-1 in the first game of their NL Wild Card Series on Tuesday. Wheeler's Phillies teammate Bryce Harper was understandably happy about the former's exploits on the night.

In the first inning, Wheeler's four-seam fastball averaged 98.0 MPH, 2.2 MPH faster than his usual pace. For the second out, he got Marlins pitcher Jorge Soler looking on a 0-2 sweeper.

Zack Wheeler received nothing but praise from Harper, who said:

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“There’s nobody else I’d rather have on the mound in those spots and those situations,”

“You can look at all the best pitchers in baseball: (Justin) Verlander, (Jacob) deGrom, (Max) Scherzer … anytime you have faith in your pitcher, it just gives you that much more of an edge. Zack is one of those guys.”

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How has Zack Wheeler fared with the Phillies

Wheeler signed a five-year, $118 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2019.

He's the first pitcher in Phillies history to surrender three runs or fewer in his first 10. He surrendered only three home runs, which was the fewest of any pitcher who went at least 70 innings in 2020.

Wheeler struck out a career-high 14 hitters, and in the same year, he was chosen for his first MLB All-Star Game. He also became the first Phillies pitcher to win the NL strikeout crown.

Zack Wheeler led the MLB with a career-high 213+13 innings in 2021, ending the season 14-10 with a 2.78 ERA, a league-leading three complete games, two shutouts and 849 batters faced.

He was fourth among active big league pitchers in 2022, with a 12-7 record, 2.82 ERA, 163 strikeouts over 153 innings, 26 starts and a career record of 0.812 home runs per 9 innings.

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