PHILADELPHIA — Zack Wheeler turned in a stellar performance, striking out eight batters, reliever José Alvarado had a pivotal strikeout to preserve the lead and Philadelphia opened their postseason push with a 4-1 win over the Miami Marlins in game one of the NL Wild Card Series on Tuesday night.
Wheeler allowed just one run in 6 2/3 innings, as he took a two-hit shutout into the seventh before being pulled after allowing consecutive infield singles with two outs.
The second hit was by Bryan De La Cruz, who drove in Miami’s only run of the night.
Alvarado came on and struck out pinch-hitter Yuli Gurriel with two runners aboard to protect the 3-1 lead. The left-hander retired two more batters in the eighth, and Jeff Hoffman got the third out of the inning.
The Marlins finished with seven hits.
Craig Kimbrel held the Marlins scoreless ninth to earn the save.
But not only did Wheeler do his part, his teammates backed up him at the plate with plenty of run support. All told, every starter had at least one hit.
Castellanos added an RBI double in the eighth inning to score Bryce Harper — who knocked off his helmet as he ran through a stop sign from third base coach Dusty Wathan — and the Phillies are now a victory away from an NL Division Series matchup against Atlanta.
Marlins starter Jesús Luzardo struggled, throwing 90 pitches through just four innings.
Johan Rojas, the No. 9 hitter, hammered away at Luzardo with a nine-pitch at-bat for a single that opened the third. He later scored on Alec Bohm’s RBI double to left field.
Luzardo gave up run-scoring singles to Bryson Stott and Cristian Pache that made it 3-0 in the third.
For game two, the Marlins will send LHP Braxton Garrett (9-7, 3.66 ERA) to the mound on Wednesday night to face off with Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (12-9, 4.46).
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