Phillies takeaways: Zack Wheeler vs. Braves, Rafael Marchan's big day, bullpen tryouts
Phillies catcher Rafael Marchán did not move when the 1-0 pitch came his way.
The 97.6 mph fastball, so far up and away, wasn't worth it. But, for the Braves, it warranted a mound visit.
Two balls. No strikes. The bases loaded. A tie game in the eighth.
It was a hole Atlanta Braves reliever Daysbel Hernández made and nearly crawled out of, until sending a 2-2 pitch hurtling toward the dirt and catching Marchán's foot in the process to force in the winning run.
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'I've been saying all along: this kid's really a good player,' manager Rob Thomson said after a 5-4 Phillies victory Thursday afternoon. 'Although there's not many numbers there, he's really given us good at-bats. He understands the strike zone. He's very disciplined.'
Marchán has seen limited at-bats, with 13 games played since making the Opening Day roster. The results haven't always been there: He's hitting .152/.317/.242 with a .559 OPS in 33 at-bats.
But the 26-year-old starred in the first game of Thursday's doubleheader, hitting a two-run homer for an early lead along with a walk that led to another run and the go-ahead hit-by-pitch — on top of throwing out two would-be stealers, including Ozzie Albies in the ninth.
Maybe stop trying? pic.twitter.com/c2QERaVT4d
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 29, 2025
It was one game. But the production along with Marchán's strong game-calling skills bode well as the Phillies get into the thick of the season.
J.T. Realmuto is on track to catch more than 130 games — not out of the realm of possibility, but potentially difficult on a 34-year-old coming off a season in which he played in 99 due to injury. And he's struggled at the plate recently, though Thomson said it is something the three-time All-Star needs to play through.
Marchán is there, if and when he's needed. Staying ready is nothing new for him after bouncing between the minors and majors. And, for the Phillies, it doesn't hurt to have a backup catcher who ranks 11th in pop time and 19th in caught stealing above average in the majors.
'I just try to come every day and do my work,' Marchán said.
The first time Zack Wheeler faced Braves third baseman Austin Riley on Thursday was neither quick nor easy.
An 0-2 count turned to 3-2 as Riley chipped away, waiting out Wheeler in the second inning of the second game. But the Phillies' ace got him on the ninth pitch of the at-bat: a 97.9 mph sinker inside led to a weak grounder.
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Riley lost that battle but delivered in the fourth: On a 3-1 count, he pulled a double just fair along the third-base line to send two runners home for a 2-0 lead. And he walked on four pitches in the sixth. Riley scored in both innings.
'When you see guys a lot, you start to get more and more adjusted and you start to build a memory bank of pitches and how they pitch you and sequences,' Riley said. 'But like I said, it's definitely not a very comfortable at-bat. I feel like he's putting it in the mitt, the extension's there and the velo was there tonight. We were able to put a couple good swings on and get some runs.'
Riley was among several Braves who rocked Wheeler the second and third time through the order Thursday, sending him packing in the sixth after allowing four hits and six runs along with four walks.
It somewhat echoed Wheeler's April 8 start against the Braves at Truist Park, when he was removed after giving up five earned runs and eight hits in 5 1/3 innings — though he was charged with three earned runs caused by confusion over a routine fly ball in the outfield as Edmundo Sosa started in left for the first time.
Wheeler's lack of success against the NL East rival is unusual. He's allowed more earned runs against the Braves this season (11) than in 2023 and 2024 combined over six starts (nine earned runs). Over 16 starts against Atlanta from 2020-24, Wheeler owned a 2.07 ERA in 104 1/3 innings.
His ERA in two starts against the Braves this season: 9.28. It is 2.96 on the season, and 1.93 against all other opponents.
'The first one was a little weird,' Wheeler said of the April start. 'This one, I just wasn't good. I threw a lot of balls, got behind on a lot of counts today and I pitched from behind a lot. It takes a toll.'
He was sharp initially. Velocity on everything was up. But it didn't matter if he wasn't locating his pitches. The 3-1 sinker to Riley stung. So did a first-pitch homer, also in the fourth, to Albies — the first homer hit off Wheeler's splitter since he started embracing the pitch in 2024.
'It's a good pitch,' Wheeler said. 'But it's also a bad pitch. It just needed to be down another ball or two.'
A doubleheader will put a bullpen to the test. There is a slight silver lining to two doubleheaders in two weeks: The Phillies giving potential relievers a try as their 27th man — though it has not gone well.
Reliever Brett de Geus, acquired off waivers from the Miami Marlins in April, finally got his big-league opportunity with the Phillies in the second game of Thursday's doubleheader. After a scoreless eighth, it went awry in a game that had already gone sideways. Three consecutive walks in the ninth loaded the bases. The pitches were all over the place. The Braves tacked on another run en route to a 9-3 win.
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Daniel Robert, brought up for the doubleheader against St. Louis on May 14, struck out one in that day's second game before giving up three walks and a run against Pittsburgh on May 16.
But, as for the overall state of the bullpen?
'I still trust all those guys,' Thomson said.
He threw reliever Orion Kerkering into a difficult situation in Thursday's first game with two runners on, liking Kerkering's attacking mentality. Matt Strahm gave up two runs in game one — struggles Thomson credited to execution more than anything, as the lefty's velocity has picked up. Jordan Romano escaped runners on the corners to earn the save, to the joy of a restless crowd.
José Alvarado's 80-game PED suspension has placed a greater focus on the Phillies' bullpen needs. Their relievers rank 24th in the majors in ERA (4.61). The Phillies still await the emergence of solid middle-inning relief, though the current group is working — but as the doubleheaders always reinforce, depth is ever-valuable.
And the Phillies are working, too. They acquired another bullpen arm, lefty Josh Walker, from the Blue Jays just as the second game ended — perhaps another 27th man.
(Photo of Zack Wheeler: Emilee Chinn / Getty Images)
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