Leading the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Zack Wheeler stood 60 feet and six inches from Jesus Aguilar in a make-or-break frame. Christian Yelich took a few steps off first base after roping a leadoff single. The count was 3-2.

Wheeler froze Aguilar with a 96 mph fastball on the outside corner. Eight pitches, one flyout, and one groundout later, he was back in the dugout, still ahead in a 97-pitch battle that he would get to fight against the bottom of the order in the sixth.

In a game in which he absolutely had to go six innings, with a season-high 110 pitches, as to protect a limited bullpen, Wheeler delivered, coming back out and retiring the side in order to end his afternoon with a line that read as follows: six hits, four earned runs, two walks, and six strikeouts.

This is not to say the righty had a smooth sailing, dominant start, but given his much-maligned inability to rise above rough innings and work deep into games, Wheeler definitely asserted himself in a game that, despite the team ultimately losing a grip late, looked like a lost cause in the middle of the fourth inning.

Wheeler’s day began with an infield hit on a snaking ground ball and a frozen-rope single to put men on first and second. He scrapped his way back, however, inducing a Jesus Aguilar fly ball that, although falling for a single, really should have been caught by either Jay Bruce or Michael Conforto, who both failed to communicate as they converged. Wheeler responded to the unfortunately-scored RBI with two weak popouts and a strikeout to zip up a raucous 25-pitch inning.

Wheeler created some more momentum in the following frame, striking out two in a three-up, three-down, 14-pitch second inning. Things came crashing back down in the third, however, as he opened with a four-pitch walk to Lorenzo Cain. After an infield hit that Wilmer Flores threw away, Wheeler allowed a three-run homer to Aguilar to erase a 4-1 lead.

Wheeler needed 23 pitches before he could record an out, but swiftly followed his strikeout of Domingo Santana with a 6-6-3 double play to keep things tied. Of Wheeler’s first 58 pitches, just 33 registered as strikes.

After the Mets were turned away in order in a five-minute long top of the fourth, Wheeler was thrown back into action against the bottom of the Brewers’ order. He responded well, inducing two popouts to left field on five pitches.

An Amed Rosario error prolonged the inning, however, forcing Wheeler to shell out another six pitches to Lorenzo Cain. Nonetheless, Zack held his ground, confidently retiring Cain on a 6-3 putout. Wheeler retired 11 of his last 13 hitters in the start, throwing 31 of his final 52 pitches for strikes.

Mickey Callaway was by the 27-year old right-hander’s ability to battle through his struggles to really give the team a chance to win.

“I thought he battled and did a good job. There were a couple errors behind him that may have cost him, but he battled through. He got us through six innings, which we really needed today going into tomorrow. He did a heck of a job.”

The numbers are a far cry from what Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard put forward in their most recent starts, but Wheeler essentially minimized the workload to that of three relievers.