With the help of the team’s explosive offensive outing, Zack Wheeler’s excellent start in Chicago yesterday afternoon led the Mets to a 10-2 win over the Cubs.
Wheeler, 29, threw 94 pitches through seven innings while allowing one run on one hit. He walked just one batter and struck out five.
Zack spoke with the media after the game about his satisfaction with the outing, rebounding from a string of poor starts against the Yankees and Braves where he let up eight runs in 11 and 2/3 innings.
“My slider was actually working for the most part today- I was able to keep them off balance. When you hit your spots, and keep them off balance, it’s a little easier to pitch.” Wheeler said. “Good game today. I was pretty happy with it.”
The righty got into some trouble early, allowing four of the Cubs’ first six batters to reach base but found a way out efficiently in his first few innings pitched. He then retired his next fifteen batters.
In the bottom of the seventh, Wheeler let up back to back singles to Wilson Contreras and Jason Heyward, and walked Carlos Gonzalez to load the bases. With Victor Garatini grounding into a double play, Contreras scored, but he was able to limit the damage to just one run by getting his next batter to lineout before being pulled for Chris Flexen in the eighth.
Wheeler now has 9 starts of at least seven innings pitched this season. That’s tied with Max Scherzer and Hyun-Jin Ryu for the most in the National League.
Saturday’s dominant start brought his record to 6-5 on the season and lowered his ERA to a 4,69. The gem led the Amazin’s to win their second consecutive game for the first time in two weeks. They won their second game at Wrigley with the possibility of taking three of four tomorrow afternoon, and will have a chance to take just their third road series of the season with Jacob deGrom facing off with Cole Hamels on the mound.
