Phillies Sweep Rangers with 4-2 Victory in Arlington

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Philadelphia Phillies completed a three-game sweep of the Texas Rangers with a 4-2 victory on Sunday. The win improved their season record to 68-49 and extended their lead in the National League East to 5.5 games over the New York Mets, who lost to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson sought command from starting pitcher Zack Wheeler, who had missed some time due to shoulder soreness. Wheeler struggled early but managed to last five innings, allowing two runs, including a home run by Joc Pederson in the first inning. He finished with three hits allowed, three walks, and seven strikeouts.

“I felt a lot better. I felt good. I felt healthy,” Wheeler said after improving his record to 10-5. Despite some struggles, he remains optimistic. “Still just a little off so just got to keep working at that. It wasn’t the prettiest today but got through it.”

Wheeler’s shoulder soreness was confirmed by an MRI to have no damage, and he is focused on returning to full strength. “Honestly, it’s been a while. I finally just got to that point where we wanted to get an image of it,” he reflected on his recovery.

The bullpen also had a strong outing, allowing just three hits and striking out three over four innings. Tanner Banks, Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering, and Jhoan Duran closed the game effectively, providing much-needed support following Wheeler’s performance.

Catcher J.T. Realmuto commented on Wheeler’s command, stating, “When he’s on his fastball command, he’s really good. Today it took us a little bit to find what worked, but we wound up using his split more than we had planned.”

The defensive play of the game came from Harrison Bader, who made a running catch to rob Corey Seager of a potential game-tying home run. Trea Turner also contributed significantly with key defensive plays in the seventh and ninth innings.

After falling behind 2-0, the Phillies started their comeback with an RBI double from Bryce Harper in the fourth. Edmundo Sosa hit a solo homer in the fifth, followed by a hit from Bryson Stott that helped secure a 3-2 lead. They added an insurance run in the ninth with smart base-running.

The win marked the Phillies’ seventh victory in nine games, and Thomson praised his team’s performance. “It was a good series. This is a good club and they’ve been playing well, especially at home,” he said.

As for Wheeler, Thomson remains unconcerned about his pitcher’s recent struggles, indicating that it’s merely a matter of time before Wheeler finds his rhythm again. “He just looks a little bit out of sync. The velocity’s not there but his secondary stuff was good, you got a lot of whiff, seven strikeouts… it’s all just a cycle so it will come back around and I’ll be fine,” Wheeler concluded.