PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Zack Wheeler struck 11, including a franchise-record seven in a row to start the game, Bryson Stott hit a tiebreaking RBI single with two out in the eighth inning and the Philadelphia Phillies inched closer to clinching a playoff spot with a 6-4 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.
Wheeler reached 2,000 career strikeouts when he fanned Brice Turang to end the first, becoming the 96th pitcher in MLB history to reach the milestone.
Brandon Marsh homered, doubled and drove in three runs for Philadelphia, which began play holding the final NL wild-card spot with a four-game cushion over Arizona.
William Contreras had three RBIs for NL Central-leading Milwaukee. The Brewers, by virtue of Cincinnati’s 4-0 win over Atlanta, clinched a bye in the wild-card round and earned home-field advantage for the NLDS.
After the Brewers scored twice in the sixth off Wheeler to tie the game at 3, Stott singled to center off Colton Gordon (0-1). Garrett Mitchell’s throw went to third base to try to get Alec Bohm running from first. But the ball ricocheted off Bohm’s foot, and both he and Luis Arraez scored to make it 5-3.
Jhoan Duran earned his 33rd save after José Alvarado (5-3) got the final out of the eighth.
Wheeler was unhittable at the outset and had sights on Pablo López’s MLB record of nine K’s in a row to open a contest before Cooper Pratt grounded out to third base for the second out of the third inning. Watching Wheeler from the dugout was teammate Aaron Nola, who has a share of the MLB record with 10 consecutive strikeouts of the Mets in 2021.
The Phillies began Tuesday trailing the Padres and Cubs by one game for the top spot in the NL wild card. Philadelphia holds the tiebreaker over San Diego but not Chicago.
The Brewers dropped to 13-6 this month and were not able to extend their franchise record of 98 wins, set in Sunday’s 3-0 victory at Baltimore.
Up next
Brewers RHP Logan Henderson (10-3, 2.51 ERA) opposes Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (7-10, 4.49) in the second game of the three-game series on Wednesday night.
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