5 Best individual Phillies’ performances of 2021
By Bryce Turner
#4 Philadelphia Phillies individual performance: Zack Wheeler shutout
The second of two complete-game shutouts for Zack Wheeler came on August 8, at home to the New York Mets. The eventual gem never had a chance to become a no-hit bid, as Brandon Nimmo started the game with a double on the fifth pitch.
Wheeler retired Jeff McNeil, Pete Alonso, and Dominic Smith to strand Nimmo at second base and begin a dominant outing against his former team. The right-handed pitcher retired his next 22 batters following that lead-off hit, with Michael Conforto becoming the next baserunner for the Mets, on a walk in the eighth inning.
Wheeler allowed just one more batter to reach base in the game, with Nimmo hitting a one-out single in the ninth inning. The game ended on a strikeout to Alonso, one of 11 strikeouts for Wheeler. Alonso, Smith, and pitcher Taijuan Walker each struck out twice, while nine outs came via a groundout.
Zack Wheeler stat line: 9 IP (CG, 108 pitches), 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 11 SO
Wheeler’s other complete-game shutout came on May 6, at home to the Milwaukee Brewers, where he gave up just three hits and struck out eight. He threw 118 pitches in that game. By season’s end, he led MLB in both complete games (3) and shutouts (2).