Wheeler Becomes MLB's First '100-100' Player As Mets Rout Phillies
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — Zack Wheeler hit his first major league home run and struck out 11 in seven sharp innings - and that was only part of his historic night in a Mets uniform.
Wheeler (2-2) became the first player in MLB this season to join the "100-100 club" — hitting his home run over 100 mph and also throwing a 100-mph pitch in the same game, according to Statcast.
Wheeler's one-man show helped New York hand the Philadelphia Phillies their fifth loss in six games, 9-0 on Tuesday night.
The only spirit the Phillies showed came with two outs in the ninth when two fastballs by Mets reliever Jacob Rhame sailed over Rhys Hoskins' head. The benches started to clear after the first time, and Hoskins angrily slung his bat after the next one, which was ball four.
Bryce Harper was hitless in three at-bats, striking out twice before leaving for a substitute. The Phillies star had an uneventful night, a day after his wild rant at an umpire that has Major League Baseball looking at whether he should be penalized.
Wheeler also doubled and drove in three runs and Todd Frazier connected for a grand slam that made it 8-0 in the fifth.
Wheeler did it in his 100th career start, too. He fanned seven straight in the early innings, and gave himself a cushion at the plate.
A career .129 hitter, Wheeler lined a two-run double in the second off Zach Eflin (2-3). The next time up, Wheeler did even better, launching a drive over the wall in left-center.
Wheeler kept up a surprising longball show by Mets pitchers. Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom also have gone deep this year, making the Mets the first NL team in more than 110 years to have three pitchers homer in the first 25 games of a season.
Frazier broke open the game with his fifth career slam, tagging Drew Anderson. Frazier made his season debut Monday after being slowed by a strained left oblique.
The Phillies have totaled just two runs while losing three in a row, and were shut out for the first time season. They went down quietly Monday when their last 16 batters were retired, and manager Gabe Kapler said before this game that he wanted to see whether his team would respond with any energy.
They didn't, at least until two outs in the ninth. The closest the Phillies came to scoring was in the fourth when Maikel Franco was thrown out at the plate by left fielder Jeff McNeil on Cesar Hernandez's single.
Hernandez also let an easy grounder roll through his legs with two outs in the second, allowing Wheeler to score from second.
Mets relievers Luis Avilan and Rhame finished off the five-hitter.
TRAINER'S ROOM:
Mets CF Brandon Nimmo exited after three innings because of a left oblique twinge. SS Amed Rosario didn't start for the second straight day because of flu-like symptoms.
UP NEXT:
Mets LHP Jason Vargas (1-0, 9.58) pitches while speculation swirls that Gio Gonzalez might be signed to take his spot in the rotation.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
