Rob Thomson on Zack Wheeler’s recent struggles: ‘I truly believe he’s going to come out of it’

PHILADELPHIA — It was a much-anticipated matchup on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. Reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal started for the Tigers. Zack Wheeler, one of baseball’s best pitchers since coming to Philadelphia ahead of 2020, manned the mound for the Phillies.

The showdown of aces didn’t quite live up to the hype.

Skubal delivered a winning effort for his club, going seven innings with 10 strikeouts while giving up three runs. Wheeler, charged with four runs (three earned) in six-plus innings of work, was handed his fifth loss of the season; it was his second in as many starts.

In the Phillies’ 7-5 loss to the Tigers, Wheeler’s line also included a season-high in hits allowed (nine) and home runs surrendered (three). The only positives in the right-hander’s ledger were his 10 strikeouts and no walks, which gave him his fourth straight home start with such totals, a Phillies franchise record.

Wheeler wasn’t happy with his performance, especially because he knew facing Skubal was going to be tough for him and his team.

“That’s why I’m so frustrated,” Wheeler said, “because you know he’s not going to give up anything. You just want to go out there and match him and put up zeroes.”

The Tigers were able to get to Wheeler’s hard stuff. Six of the nine hits they collected against the Phillies’ ace came against his four-seam fastball. One came against his sinker. The other two, his cutter. Wheeler felt good with his non-fastball offerings. He knows his fastball wasn’t where he needed it.

“Fastball command was off,” Wheeler said. “It’s probably the worst my sinker’s been.”

The first two home runs Wheeler allowed came in the top of the third inning. Colt Keith took Wheeler deep on a first-pitch, center-cut fastball. Two batters later, Kerry Carpenter sent one into the seats against another fastball, giving Detroit a 2-0 lead.

Thomson thinks Wheeler just missed his spots. “The pitch to Keith, it was kind of yanked to the middle-third (of the plate),” Thomson said. “Carpenter’s home run was (on) a four-seamer up.”

Wheeler worked around four singles between the fourth and sixth innings. J.T. Realmuto throwing out would-be base stealer Wenceel Pérez to end the sixth helped the Phillies starter, who was at 95 pitches, reach the seventh.

Thomson left Wheeler in to start the seventh to face the pair of right-handed hitters at the bottom of Detroit’s batting order. It didn’t pan out. Wheeler took the blame.

“That was on me, going back on there for the seventh,” Wheeler said. “I told (Thomson) that I really wanted to.”

Wheeler added: “At the end of the day, maybe I shouldn’t have gone back out there.”

Wheeler would only throw three more pitches on the afternoon. Otto Kemp committed an error at third base to begin the seventh inning. Javier Báez followed that up with a two-run shot to left field on a first-pitch sinker from Wheeler, ending the pitcher’s day.

“Baez just jumped on it,” Thomson said.

Having to do so again on Saturday, Wheeler battling has become a theme lately. He’s lacked his usual sharpness over his last four starts dating back to July 12 in San Diego, which came after he one-hit the Cincinnati Reds in a complete-game effort on July 6.

Wheeler noted consistency with his command has been his biggest issue lately. It hasn’t been the same as before, he said.

Wheeler’s previous two outings have perhaps been his shakiest. Before Saturday’s start, Wheeler walked two batters and hit three more last Sunday against the Yankees in New York. He failed to reach six innings of work that day for just the fourth time all season. Between his last two starts, Wheeler’s allowed eight runs (seven earned) on 12 hits while allowing five home runs.

Thomson thinks Wheeler’s command was better on Saturday than it’s been of late. He thinks his ace is trending upward.

“Certainly, the command was much better today,” Thomson said. “So maybe we’re trending in the right direction. … I truly believe he’s going to come out of it.”