LOS ANGELES — Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski became the latest left-handed starter to confound the Phillies offense, holding them to a single hit over seven innings.
The Phillies faced Wrobleski as a reliever last September, and tagged him for five runs while he recorded just one out. But Friday’s 4-2 Phillies loss was a very different story.
Wrobleski had a perfect game through three innings, but ended in the fourth when Kyle Tucker dropped a fly ball in right field. Trea Turner reached second base on the error, but was promptly stranded there when Bryce Harper struck out and Alec Bohm grounded out.
The Phillies’ first hit against Wrobleski remained elusive until the sixth inning, when Kyle Schwarber turned on a fastball and sent it 411 feet beyond the center field wall. But that was all they mustered against him until Dodgers manager Dave Roberts — who has been cautious with Wrobleski’s workload — lifted him after seven innings and 88 pitches.
The Phillies struck out nine times against Wrobleski, whiffing 13 times on his four-seam fastball.
Zack Wheeler, on the other hand, allowed five hits, and four of them were solo home runs. Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Shohei Ohtani, and Will Smith each took Wheeler deep.
Three of them came on fastballs over the middle of the plate, while Ohtani homered on a splitter.
It ties a career high for home runs allowed in a start for Wheeler, and is the most earned runs he has given up this season.
Once Roberts went to right-hander Edgardo Henriquez for the eighth, the Phillies tacked on another run. Brandon Marsh doubled off the center field wall, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored on a single from Steward Berroa, who was called up earlier on Friday. But Schwarber struck out swinging to end the rally.
Tanner Scott earned the save for the Dodgers, retiring Turner, Harper, and Bohm in order.
The Phillies are desperate for right-handed hitting. Mike Trout bats right-handed. But Trout also has full no-trade rights and has never asked the Angels to move him. Joe Maddon, Trout’s manager for three years, joins “Phillies Extra” to answer the most important question: Why? And will this be the year that Trout asks out? Maddon also shares his thoughts on the Phillies’ managerial change, Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh, and more. Watch here.
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