WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Zack Wheeler could feel it before he even threw his first pitch Friday night.
The mound at Sutter Health Park, the minor-league stadium where the Athletics are playing their home games in 2025, was not the same as the big-league stadiums around baseball.
If you noticed Wheeler’s frustration in the first two innings of a 4-3 win over the A’s, it wasn’t over his command, it was about the mound.
“The mound was terrible. That was really it,” he said. “I felt great today and that’s why I was frustrated, because I felt great and the mound was bad.
“It was like cement right in front of the rubber and if you did break it up, there were little bumps in it. It probably doesn’t sound like a lot but when you’re used to pitching on similar mounds throughout the league, just that little difference messes with you. Couldn’t really get into the dirt to drive, was kinda throwing all arm tonight. It was a little different. I just had to make little adjustments out there as it went.
“It is what it is. It turned out good so gotta roll with it.”
Of course it did. Wheeler seems to overcome everything, rising level by level season by season. He’s been a Cy Young runner-up twice as a Phillie and is pitching even better this year than those. He’s rattled off 22⅔ straight scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 2.42 and has the lowest WHIP in the National League at 0.88.
Asked whether major-league games should be played in minor-league parks, Wheeler said, “Probably not the best idea but sometimes I guess you have to.” The A’s are in Sacramento from 2025-27 as they await the opening of their new ballpark in Las Vegas.
Wheeler’s night ended after 6⅔ innings because his pitch count was up to 108. Orion Kerkering entered and dispelled a two-on, two-out jam for the second straight outing.
“I envision him being that guy,” manager Rob Thomson said of Kerkering. “Also a full-inning guy but that was a big spot there and he got it done. Wheels was out of pitches.”
The Phillies were two outs away from shutting the A’s out when Jordan Romano allowed a three-run homer to lefty-hitting rookie Nick Kurtz. Romano’s velocity was down and he, too, appeared to have problems with the mound. He had made nine consecutive scoreless appearances with six 1-2-3 innings entering the night.
Matt Strahm pitched a scoreless eighth and needed a big assist from Johan Rojas, who somehow tracked down a deep line drive over his head hit by Tyler Soderstrom for the final out with the tying run 90 feet away. The ball had a catch probability of just 11%, according to Statcast.
“I just went back as soon as I saw the ball,” Rojas said. “Keep running, keep running, keep running. I know this field is bigger, the warning track is bigger than normal. I just kept going. I said I have to catch that ball, have to help my team. Wheeler did a great job, the bullpen came in and did a great job, too.
“Our rotation, we’ve got the best in baseball. I love those guys.”
The Phillies’ starting staff has a 1.28 ERA during the eight-game winning streak. Most of that has been elite pitching but some of it is owed to the Phillies playing solid defense, making all the routine plays and even a few spectacular ones.
“It’s been huge,” Thomson said. “(Alec) Bohm had a really nice game at third base, a couple difficult balls he fielded cleanly. Trea (Turner) has been really good. Rojas’ catch was outstanding. That’s what you’ve gotta do in these kind of games because we didn’t get our bats going until late. You’ve gotta get good pitching, good defense and do the little things and that’s what we’re doing.”
The Phillies’ only offense until the ninth inning was Turner’s leadoff home run, his first with the team. The Phils added three more off A’s closer Mason Miller in the top of the ninth with an RBI double from Bohm and RBI singles by Rojas and Turner. Miller is one of the hardest throwers in the sport but the Phillies scored three times to chase him.
“Just taking what he gives you,” Turner said. “Kinda simplified it and hit the ball the other way. Not trying to do too much tonight, not trying to pull homers. Just made it tough on him, got the pitch count. That’s what you have to do against those guys because they’re so good. Take what they give you.”
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