Zack Wheeler struck out 10 over seven strong innings as the Philadelphia Phillies topped the visiting Colorado Rockies 5-1 on Wednesday night.
Edmundo Sosa (two RBIs) and Trea Turner each recorded three hits in support of Wheeler (1-0), who allowed one run and three hits without a walk. Sosa has been hot, in particular, as the utilityman is 9-for-15 with four straight multi-hit games to begin the season.
Hunter Goodman homered for the second straight game for Colorado, which will look to avoid a three-game sweep on Thursday afternoon. Kyle Freeland (0-1) absorbed the defeat while allowing three runs and nine hits over 6 2/3 innings. He struck out three and didn’t issue a walk.
Wheeler struck out two in the first inning and got a double play to sneak out of the second unscathed. He worked around a hit in both the third and fifth innings – the only hits he allowed other than Goodman’s one-out homer in the seventh.
After that blast, Wheeler struck out Kris Bryant and Michael Toglia to put an exclamation point on his impressive night.
The 2024 National League Cy Young Award runner-up, Wheeler has given up two runs in 13 innings this season, striking out 18 while walking only two.
Meanwhile, Freeland retired the side in order in the first two innings before working out of a two-out jam in the third.
The Phillies kept the pressure on in the fourth, beginning with Alec Bohm’s single to open the frame. Kyle Schwarber followed with an RBI double to make it 1-0, and eventually came around to score on J.T. Realmuto’s swinging bunt down the third base line.
Freeland kept Colorado close by escaping a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the fifth. He struck out Bryce Harper, Bohm and Schwarber to keep the score at 2-0.
After Goodman’s homer in the seventh, the Phillies tacked on an insurance run in the bottom half. Sosa led off with a single and moved to second on a passed ball, then was sacrificed to third before Turner delivered a base hit to center.
The Rockies drew a pair of walks against Matt Strahm in the eighth, but the left-hander fanned Ezequiel Tovar to end the frame.
Sosa added a two-run double in the eighth against Seth Halvorsen to cap the scoring.
