DETROIT — It is not a little “extra edge” anymore.
This is Zack Wheeler.
The same Wheels Philadelphia was used to before the blood clot in his right shoulder last August. The same ace who gives the Phillies a chance to dream big, especially with Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo lining up behind him.
Wheeler will not pitch in the All-Star Game. That is OK. It is an exhibition game, and the Phillies need their right-handed ace for the long haul.
After tying a career high with 14 strikeouts in Cincinnati, two days after being left off the original National League All-Star roster, Wheeler was excellent again Sunday at Comerica Park. This time, he did it after declining a late invite to join the All-Star team.
The “disrespect” did not seem to slow him down.
If anything, it keeps showing up.
Wheeler struck out 10 over six scoreless innings in the Phillies’ 5-0 win over the Tigers, outdueling Tarik Skubal as Philadelphia took the series and entered the All-Star break on a strong note.
How did Wheeler do it?
A SPLITTING HEADACHE
Like usual, Wheeler has leaned heavily on his four-seam fastball this season.
It is the pitch that opens up the rest of his six-pitch mix. A lot of that comes from how often he gets ahead with it and how well he locates it.
But against a lefty-heavy Tigers lineup, Wheeler leaned a little more on his splitter.
Good choice.
Wheeler threw his splitter 29 percent of the time Sunday, about 15 percentage points higher than his season average. He got 13 swings on the pitch. Eight missed. Six of his 10 strikeouts ended with it.
The Tigers had no answer for a pitch opponents were hitting .180 against entering the day. Wheeler threw it for a strike 73 percent of the time, using it to put Detroit’s offense in swing-and-miss mode.
It is also another reminder of how many ways Wheeler can beat a lineup.
Opponents are hitting .230 or lower against five of his six pitch types this season. Four of those are below the Mendoza line.
KEEP CHASING
We have already learned this, but it keeps coming back around.
Neither Don Mattingly nor Wheeler had a full explanation for it after his last start, but Wheeler’s ability to get hitters to chase has been remarkable.
He entered Sunday with a 36.3 percent chase rate, the highest of his career and a 94th-percentile mark. Against Detroit, he matched that number again at 37 percent.
It starts with his ability to get ahead.
Wheeler entered with a 65.5 percent first-pitch strike rate, which would be his highest mark since his strong 2022 season. Once he gets ahead, hitters are forced to protect. That is when the zone starts to expand.
His biggest chase of the day came in the sixth.
With two on and two out, Riley Greene worked the count full. Greene, an All-Star, had put together long at-bats all series. Wheeler threw a fastball low and away on 2-2 that Greene took. Then he elevated another fastball, again off the plate, and got Greene to swing through it to end the inning.
That was it for Wheeler.
Six innings. Two hits. Two walks. Ten strikeouts. No runs.
His ERA is down to 2.13. If he qualified, it would be the third lowest in baseball.
For the second straight season, the Phillies had a starter with an ERA under 2.60 left off the original All-Star roster.
That system needs a look.
REALMUTO COMES UP CLUTCH
Again.
On Saturday night, J.T. Realmuto roped a bases-clearing double on a hanging slider to left field, pushing the Phillies ahead 3-0.
Before Sunday’s game, Mattingly spoke about how important Realmuto has been in big spots.
Then Realmuto delivered another one.
In the sixth inning, after Skubal was lifted, Realmuto came up with the bases loaded against Tigers reliever Keider Montero. He pulled his hands in and drilled a sinker into left field, nearly the same spot as the night before.
Three more runs.
Since June 1, Realmuto has an .824 OPS with runners in scoring position.
If he is producing at the bottom of the Phillies’ lineup, look out.
AND LOOK OUT FOR THE PHILLIES
You probably should have been already.
After starting 9-19, the Phillies had a 33 percent chance to make the playoffs, per FanGraphs. By Sunday morning, that number had climbed to just under 84 percent.
They are 45-24 under Mattingly. They are 21 games over .500.
The break comes at a good time, too.
The bullpen needs a reset. The Phillies still need a left-handed reliever. The lineup looked sluggish for much of the nine-game Midwest trip. They could use the rest.
When they come out of the break, they will begin a nine-game homestand. It is a real test: three against the Mets, three against the Dodgers and three against the likely Aaron Judge-less Yankees.
The Phillies are now two games back of the Braves, not 10 like they were earlier this season. They are also a game and a half up on the final Wild Card spot.
There are All-Star festivities ahead in Philadelphia.
Then the season starts again July 16.