The Philadelphia Phillies are making a statement under interim manager Don Mattingly, and Friday night's 6-5 victory over the Miami Marlins was another chapter in their early-season surge. Zack Wheeler, looking sharp in just his second start back from injury, led the way with six dominant innings, striking out eight while allowing just one run on three hits.
Wheeler's return has been a major boost for the Phillies. After undergoing surgery in September to remove a blood clot from his right shoulder, the ace made his season debut on April 26 against Atlanta. Friday's performance showed he's quickly rounding into form, scattering three hits and walking two while keeping the Marlins' bats quiet through six frames.
Bryson Stott provided the fireworks in the seventh inning, launching a three-run homer that turned a tight game into a comfortable 6-1 lead. The rally started when Bryce Harper doubled and scored on Edmundo Sosa's line drive to center. After Brandon Marsh was hit by a pitch, Stott crushed a fastball over the right-field wall to put the game out of reach.
Alec Bohm and Sosa each contributed two hits and an RBI, providing the kind of balanced attack that has helped the Phillies start 4-0 under Mattingly. Bohm's RBI single in the fourth, followed by Justin Crawford's run-scoring double, gave Philadelphia a 2-1 lead they wouldn't relinquish.
Not everything went smoothly, however. Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, who entered the night leading the National League with 11 home runs, had a tough outing, striking out five times. Marsh was also forced to leave the game after being hit on the elbow, though the team called it a contusion.
The Marlins made things interesting in the eighth, scoring three runs on RBI hits from Otto López, Liam Hicks, and Agustín Ramírez. But Phillies closer Brad Keller slammed the door in the ninth, striking out two batters and inducing a flyout to center for his first save of the season.
The game wasn't without drama in the final frame. After Kyle Stowers was called out on strikes, he protested the call and was ejected by plate umpire Mark Wegner. Marlins manager Clayton McCullough also got the hook after coming out to argue both the call and the ejection.
Marlins starter Eury Pérez (2-3) pitched well in defeat, allowing two runs on four hits over five innings with six strikeouts and two walks. But the Phillies' bullpen held firm, with Jonathan Bowlan and José Alvarado working through the eighth before Keller closed it out.
For Phillies fans, the combination of Wheeler's return to form, Stott's timely power, and a deep lineup that can score in bunches is a promising sign as the season heats up. And with Mattingly at the helm, this team is showing it has the grit to win close games—a quality that could pay dividends down the stretch.