PHILADELPHIA -- If Zack Wheeler somehow finds a way in the season’s final few weeks to eke past Chris Sale for the National League Cy Young Award, he will be able to point to a couple of plays in Wednesday night’s 3-2 victory over the Rays at Citizens Bank Park.

Tampa Bay had a runner on third with one out in the fourth, when Ben Rortvedt hit a ground ball to second baseman Bryson Stott, who was playing in. Stott fielded the ball and made a perfect throw to catcher Aramis Garcia, who tagged Jonathan Aranda before he reached the plate. It preserved the Phillies’ one-run lead at the time.

The game was later tied in the sixth, when the Phillies had runners at the corners with two outs. Weston Wilson hit a swinging bunt to the left side of the mound. Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen could not make a play, allowing Nick Castellanos -- who hit a two-run homer in the first inning -- to score to give the Phillies a 3-2 lead.

Both plays -- and three scoreless innings from the bullpen -- helped improve Wheeler to 15-6 with a 2.60 ERA.

Sale is the NL Cy Young favorite. He's 16-3 with a 2.38 ERA in 27 starts. He has 213 strikeouts and 35 walks in 166 2/3 innings. He leads the NL in wins, ERA, strikeouts, FIP (2.02), home runs per nine innings (0.4), strikeout rate (32.4%), bWAR (5.9) and fWAR (6.2).

Wheeler, meanwhile, has 199 strikeouts and 49 walks in 179 2/3 innings. He entered the night leading the NL in WHIP (0.96) and hits per nine innings (6.3). He is second in wins, ERA and fWAR (4.6); third in strikeouts; fourth in FIP (3.20) and bWAR (5.0); fifth in home runs per nine innings (0.9); and eighth in strikeout rate (27.7%).

Wheeler has work to do, but every win on a team aiming for the best record in baseball cannot hurt.