Friendly competition leads to Phils starters' success

PHILADELPHIA -- Facing a dangerous Blue Jays lineup on Wednesday afternoon would have been more than enough competition for Zack Wheeler. It turns out he was challenging a couple of his own teammates, too.

That’s what happens when two of the Phillies' starters -- in this case, Taijuan Walker and Aaron Nola -- have strong outings in the two games preceding Wheeler’s start: He wants to best them just as much as he wants to mow down Toronto’s hitters.

“Tai started us off, and Noles last night, so I just tried to piggyback that, just feed off each other,” Wheeler said after taking a no-decision in the Phillies’ 10th-inning 2-1 win over the Blue Jays at Citizens Bank Park. “It’s friendly games and competition; just try to outdo the person the night before. That's what makes us better as baseball players and pitchers. Hopefully we can keep it rolling.”

Through the Phillies’ first 34 games, the starting rotation had a bloated 5.03 ERA, leaving them in the lower third of National League teams.

Sunday, Walker beat the Red Sox with six innings of one-run ball. Tuesday, it was Nola’s turn, as he allowed two runs over six innings in a victory against the Blue Jays. Wheeler outdid them both on Wednesday, giving up just one run on three hits over seven innings, allowing the Phillies to come back from a 1-0 deficit in the ninth before winning it in the 10th on a throwing error by Bo Bichette.

“We know what we’re capable of,” Wheeler said, “we just haven’t done it this year.”

This week’s performances certainly reminded the league how dangerous the Phillies can be when their starters are challenging hitters and challenging each other.

“I think the good teams have that, and not just with the starters,” said catcher J.T. Realmuto, who hit a tying RBI double in the ninth inning. “We're all out here competing; we're competing against the other team, yes, but we're also competing in this clubhouse. Everybody in here wants to be the best player on the team. They all want to see each other succeed, and the best way to do that is with friendly competition. Seeing the starters go out and pitch the way they've done, just seeing them carry that momentum day to day, I think it's good for us."

As promising as the past three games have been -- the Phillies ended their homestand against the Red Sox and Blue Jays with a 3-2 record after dropping the first two to Boston -- there’s more good news on the way. Ranger Suárez is slated to make his season debut on Saturday in Colorado after missing the first six-plus weeks with a left elbow strain.

“Being able to get Ranger back is going to be huge for us,” said Bryce Harper, whose final swing Wednesday might have been a game-extending double play if not for Bichette’s errant throw. “Everybody knows what can happen once our starting pitching gets hot. The last couple times out, all of them have thrown the ball really well. I never worry about our starting pitching too much.”

Wheeler’s lone mistake came in the fifth, when Brandon Belt led off the inning by ripping a 1-1 curveball over the right-center-field wall. That ended his scoreless duel with Kevin Gausman, but Wheeler stayed locked in, striking out the next three batters after the home run.

Wheeler worked around a leadoff single in the sixth, holding the deficit at one run. Wheeler hadn’t pitched seven innings in a regular-season start since Aug. 3, and he wasn’t going to extend that streak if he had anything to say about it.

“I went down in the sixth and asked how he was; he said, ‘I’m great. I feel great, fresh,’” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “I said, ‘All right, empty the tank.’ And he did. He did a great job.”

Two quick strikeouts and a ground ball got Wheeler through the seventh, and after 107 pitches, his day was over.

“That's our goal every time; for me, it’s seven or more,” Wheeler said. “It's definitely more satisfying and that's where I want to be.”

The past three games are where the Phillies hope their rotation will be going forward, allowing them to climb back to .500 and make some noise in the NL East.

“This team definitely has a run in them -- and not a short-term run, either,” Realmuto said. “This team is built for the long haul. Obviously we haven't played our best baseball yet, but once we get healthy and stay healthy, I feel like this is a really good ballclub and we can go really deep and win a lot of games.”