PHILADELPHIA -- Zack Wheeler embraced another chance to square off with Chris Sale.
The first meeting between the top-two finishers in last year's NL Cy Young Award race didn't quite live up to expectations. Each ace gave up five runs and neither completed six innings when they started opposite one another on April 8 in Atlanta.
As for this week's series in Philadelphia, Wheeler was originally slated to start Wednesday's game before it was rained out. Upon news that it would be rescheduled as a doubleheader on Thursday, manager Rob Thomson deferred to the veteran Wheeler as to which game he wanted to start.
The initial plan was to go with Wheeler in Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader opposite AJ Smith-Shawver, then roll out Cristopher Sánchez opposite Sale in the nightcap.
But then Wheeler quickly called back Thomson.
"Is it too late to switch?" Wheeler asked, per Thomson.
"You can do whatever you want," Thomson replied. "You're Zack Wheeler."
Wheeler didn't offer a reason for wanting to make the switch. (“Just because," he said.)
Sure, there was logic to it.
Wheeler was 6-0 with a 2.05 ERA in eight night starts this season. He was 0-1 with a 3.50 ERA in three day games. Over the past four seasons, he was 29-11 with a 2.62 ERA at night and 18-10 with a 3.50 ERA during the day.
But regardless of whether that had anything to do with it, it was hard to ignore the fact that the audible set up another Wheeler-Sale duel.
Unfortunately for Wheeler, his second start against Atlanta went much like his first as the Phillies dropped a 9-3 decision to split Thursday’s doubleheader at Citizens Bank Park.
After three hitless innings, a pair of soft hits put two on with one out for Austin Riley, who ripped a two-run double down the left-field line. Ozzie Albies followed with a two-run homer that just barely cleared the right-field wall. It had an exit velocity of just 94.3 mph and would have been a home run in only seven other ballparks, per Statcast.
"Even in the fourth inning, it was a couple broken-bat base hits, ground ball down the line, then Albies hits the ball 94, 95 mph and it gets out of the ballpark," Thomson said. "Those things happen. But early, I thought [Wheeler] was really good."
Tough luck aside, it was clear Wheeler wasn't at his sharpest.
He walked the final two batters he faced in the sixth, each of whom came in to score against reliever Carlos Hernández. That left Wheeler with season highs in both runs (six) and walks (four), eclipsing his previous highs of five runs and three walks -- each in his April 8 start vs. the Braves.
Wheeler has a 9.28 ERA in his two starts against Atlanta this season. He has a 1.93 ERA in his other 10 outings. He's also issued seven walks in just 10 2/3 innings (5.9 per 9 IP) against the Braves, compared to 11 in 65 1/3 innings (1.5 per 9 IP) otherwise.
"When you see guys a lot, you start to get more and more adjusted, and you start to build a memory bank of pitches and how the hell they pitch you and sequences," Riley said. "But like I said, it's definitely not a very comfortable at-bat."
Despite the familiarity, Wheeler still has a 2.83 ERA in 20 starts (including postseason) against the Braves since joining the Phillies. He had a 0.95 ERA in three meetings last year.
Wheeler has been candid in recent years about his desire to win a Cy Young Award. He finished second to Corbin Burnes in 2021 in an extremely close race. He finished sixth in 2023. He was once again runner-up last season -- this time to Sale.
Sale countered Wheeler’s off night with six scoreless innings.
“You always try to do well, but sometimes you’ve got to try to step up a little more just because you know who’s on the other side,” Wheeler said. “But you’re going to have those games throughout the year. It just wasn’t my night.”
Wheeler has received a share of Cy Young votes in four of his five seasons with the Phillies. During that stretch (since 2020), he leads the Majors in wins (65), innings (905 1/3) and WHIP (1.02). He ranks third in ERA (2.90) and fourth in strikeouts (993).
Wheeler is the only pitcher to rank in the top four in all three Triple Crown categories during that span.
Yet that first Cy Young Award remains elusive for Wheeler.
"I just feel like it's going to be a matter of time for him," Kyle Schwarber said.