Its significance probably was lost by the time Mets closer Bobby Parnell got Darin Ruf to line out to Daniel Murphy in the ninth inning to secure yesterday’s 5-4 Mets triumph. But Phillies slugger Domonic Brown left Citi Field late yesterday miffed for letting Mets starter Zack Wheeler off the hook in the fifth inning.
Wheeler lasted just 4 2/3 innings after struggling with the command of his fastball and his change-up. But his finest moment of a shaky outing might have been when he got Brown to fly out to center field after falling behind 3-0 in the count.
Two runners were on with one out and the Mets protecting a 3-2 lead. But Wheeler escaped trouble by keeping Brown from adding to his season total of 24 home runs, which was tied for second in the National League coming into the game. It was one of several Houdini acts Wheeler needed to just to keep his team in the game, though Brown was more mad at himself than impressed by the rookie.
“It definitely wasn’t a pitch I wanted to swing at 3-0,” Brown said of the high fastball. “We had runners in scoring position and I was just trying to drive the ball. I was looking for a pitch middle in. He threw it away, but by that time the swing was already through.”
Brown thought he let Wheeler off the ropes, even though the right-hander was pulled one batter later after walking Ruf on a 3-2 count. Reliever Gonzalez Germen came in and ended the threat by striking out Delmon Young.
“I should have took that pitch and let the guy behind me drive us in,” Brown said, “especially with just one out then.”
Brown was just one of a number of Phillies eager to get their first look at Wheeler. What they learned is the young pitcher will battle even when he doesn’t have his best stuff.
Wheeler got his first hint it might a tough day when Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins led off the game with a home run just over the right-field wall. Mets manager Terry Collins tried to get Wheeler through five complete innings to make him eligible for the win, but by the time Wheeler was yanked, he already had thrown 105 pitches, just 58 for strikes. He walked two and struck out five.
“The 3-2 counts are what’s killing him,” said Collins, who took Wheeler out because “I didn’t want him to come out behind” in the score.
Brown said he was sorry to see Wheeler leave. He went 0-for-3 against the rookie, popping up twice before failing in the fifth.
“I wanted to get Wheeler,” he said. “Not necessarily hitting him out of the ball park, but I wanted to get a few hits against him. That’s just my competitive nature.”
The Phillies were impressed with the way he battled. You can’t be a successful pitcher in the major leagues without being able to survive on days when you don’t have your best stuff.
“He’s a pretty good pitcher,” Brown said. “He’s just not going to try to throw the fastball by you like a lot of flamethrowers do. He throws all four pitches for strikes. He gets in there and battles.”
Brown wants a piece of Matt Harvey today. The two teamed together on the National League All-Star team earlier this week, but they’ll be division rivals today.
“There’s a lot of hype, but he’s a great pitcher,” Brown said of Harvey.
This is just the beginning of what figures to be a decade-long experience for the Phils, facing Wheeler and Harvey in back-to-back games.
“It’s going to be fun,” Brown said. “I’m definitely looking forward to it and I know they’re doing the same.”