PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Zack Wheeler struck out nine over seven shutout innings, Rhys Hoskins homered and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the San Diego Padres 3-0 on Wednesday night.
Wheeler (2-3), who lost his first three starts of the season, had yet another outing more in line with the ones that helped him finish second in NL Cy Young Award voting last season. He allowed four hits and walked none over 94 pitches.
Jose Alvarado worked the eighth and Corey Knebel earned his eighth save.
The Phillies won without NL MVP Bryce Harper in the lineup. Harper could return Thursday against the Padres as he recovers from a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow.
Slumping catcher J.T. Realmuto picked up the slack. He threw out a runner at third base from foul territory, snapped an 0-for-13 skid with an RBI single, and took a foul ball off his mask.
And that was all by the third inning.
Realmuto and Hoskins helped spoil Blake Snell’s first start of the season in his return from a groin injury. The 2018 AL Cy Young Award winner with the Rays, Snell (0-1) was slated to start San Diego’s fourth game this year. He was scratched minutes before first pitch and instead made three rehab starts. He couldn’t follow on Mike Clevinger’s five shutout innings a night earlier and add to San Diego’s MLB-high 19 quality starts.
Snell lasted 3 2/3 innings and gave up three hits, three runs and struck out five in his first appearance since Sept. 12, 2021.
Hoskins’ solo shot in the third, his seventh, made it 2-0. Odubel Herrera chased Snell with an RBI double in the fourth.
WHEELER'S RECENT FORM
Wheeler tossed six shutout innings against Colorado on April 28 for his first win this year and followed that with 7 2/3 scoreless innings against Texas on May 4. The lanky right-hander has a 1.04 ERA over his last four starts and has seemingly recovered from right shoulder soreness that plagued him in spring training.
JUST TOUGH
San Diego’s Ha-Seong Kim hit an infield single in the first inning. Third baseman Alec Bohm made a one-hop throw into foul territory for an error. Realmuto hustled to back up the play, retrieved the ball and nailed Kim at third base.
Realmuto’s RBI single up the middle in the first made it 1-0. Eric Hosmer clocked a foul ball straight back into Realmuto’s mask in the second. Realmuto needed a second but stayed in the game.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: Sent LHP Ray Kerr to Triple-A El Paso.
Phillies: Harper hasn’t played right field since April 16 and will remain as DH whenever he returns. OF Mickey Moniak (broken wrist) will start a rehab assignment Thursday in extended spring training in Clearwater, Florida.
UP NEXT
The Phillies wrap the three-game series by sending RHP Kyle Gibson (3-1, 4.10 ERA) to the mound against RHP Yu Darvish (3-1, 4.62). The Padres and Phillies have each won a game in the series 3-0.
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