Phillies Turn To Wheeler For Game 2 Start vs. Braves

While the Philadelphia Phillies and the Atlanta Braves enjoy an off day before Game 2 of their National League Division Series, the starting pitchers for that game are known.

The Phillies will throw Zack Wheeler and the Braves will throw Max Fried.

Philadelphia won Game 1 of the series, 3-0, on Saturday. Game 2 is set for Monday.

Wheeler (1-0, 1.35) pitched in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card series against the Miami Marlins and threw a gem. He went 6.2 innings, giving up five hits and one earned run. He struck out eight and walked none as he threw 100 pitches. He’ll be pitching with an extra day of rest on Monday.

In his postseason career he is 2-3 with a 2.55 ERA in seven games, all starts. He has struck out 41 in 42.1 innings.

In the regular season Wheeler went 13-6 with a 3.61 ERA in 32 starts, as he struck out 212 and walked 39. The strikeout total was the second-highest of his career.

Wheeler was lights out in his final regular-season games, as he went 4-0 with a 3.29 ERA in 41 innings, allowing just 15 earned runs while striking out 47 and walking nine.

Wheeler and Atlanta are quite familiar with one another.

“It's kind of this cat-and-mouse game, especially when you face people so many times,” Wheeler said. “I've faced these guys so many times over the years also. It's not just this season. And facing people and they're really good, you have to play cat and mouse all the time, but don't try to outdo yourself at the same time, pitch to your strengths and just go off of that.”

Fried will be pitching his first postseason game of 2023 and was recently activated from the injured list after dealing with a blister issue in mid-September. The blister issue, on his left index finger, appears to be past him. But he also spent time on the 60-day injured list earlier this year with a left forearm strain.

In the postseason he is 2-4 with a 4.43 ERA in 18 games, 10 of which are starts. He has struck out 61 in 61 postseason innings. For the regular season he was excellent, as he went 8-1 with a 2.55 ERA in 14 starts, as he struck out 80 and walked 18.

Down the stretch he was 5-0 in his final seven starts of the regular season, striking out 43 and walking 11 in 41.2 innings.

He threw five innings in a simulated game on Tuesday to stay on time for Monday’s start.

“That I was able to go out there, throw, you know, get up five times, keep my arm going and just made some guys feel like I was in some kind of competitive environment and coming out healthy (was good),” Fried said. “I mean, just coming out feeling good and ready to go, I think that was the most important thing.”

Phillies-Braves ALDS Schedule, Results

(Best-of-5 series, all times eastern)

Game 1: Philadelphia 3, Atlanta 0 (Philadelphia lead series, 1-0)

Game 2: Philadelphia at Atlanta, Monday, 6:07 p.m., TBS

Game 3: Atlanta at Philadelphia, Wednesday, 5:07 p.m., TBS

Game 4: Atlanta at Philadelphia, Thursday, 6:07 p.m., TBS*

Game 5: Philadelphia at Atlanta, 6:07 p.m., Saturday, TBS*

*-if necessary