Zack Wheeler leads Phillies past Braves 3-0, earns 100th career victory

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Zack Wheeler pitched seven shutout innings to earn his 100th career victory, Edmundo Sosa homered, doubled and drove in two runs and the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Atlanta Braves 3-0 on Saturday night.

Trea Turner also went deep for NL East-leading Philadelphia, which increased its lead over the Braves in the division to six games. The Phillies have won six of eight.

“He was locked in tonight,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said of Wheeler.

Michael Harris II robbed Austin Hays of a home run with a stellar, highlight-reel catch in the seventh inning for the Braves.

“That's probably the catch of the year,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said.

Wheeler (13-6) struck out seven, walked none and allowed four hits. The 34-year-old right-hander threw 65 of his 96 pitches for strikes. The Phillies signed the former No. 6 overall pick in the 2009 draft to a five-year, $118 million deal prior to the 2020 season.

“It's special,” Wheeler said of his 100th victory. “It’s been a long road. Hard work and just believing in myself and believing in the teams I’ve been on. Just trying to work hard and continue that and just get wins.”

This past March, he inked a three-year, $126 million extension that will keep him in Philadelphia through 2027. He has won 56 games with the Phillies after playing for the Mets from 2013-19. He earned his first career victory against Atlanta in his debut on June 18, 2013. Wheeler is a native of Dallas, Ga., which is about 35 miles northwest of Atlanta.

Wheeler got better as the game went on, retiring his final seven batters and leaving to a rousing ovation from the sellout crowd of 42,730 after a 1-2-3 seventh.

“I pride myself on big games, big moments," he said. “The crowd was electric tonight, and I was feeling it.”

Sosa gave Wheeler all of the cushion he would need with a mammoth, 450-foot shot off Max Fried (8-8) to lead off the third.

“To contribute so early and give us a head start was a very good feeling,” Sosa said through an interpreter.

Turner clubbed a 3-2, 95-mph fastball off Fried into the seats in left field in the sixth to make it 2-0, and Sosa’s double an inning later scored Weston Wilson to pad Philadelphia’s advantage to three runs.

Jeff Hoffman struck out two in a scoreless eighth and Carlos Estévez completed the shutout with his 23rd save in 27 tries and third in four chances since being acquired by the Phillies on July 27.

The lead should have been greater had Harris not snared Hays’ drive to center leading off the seventh.

He leaped at the wall and caught the ball over his right shoulder just as he crashed into the railing separating Philadelphia’s bullpen from the field. His momentum nearly caused him to flip over the wall, going horizontal with the field, but he pulled himself back over and then held his glove high in the air to signify the catch.

“It hit perfectly in my web and as I was coming back I saw the Phillies pitchers in awe,” Harris said. “That’s when I really knew I caught it. It was pretty cool to make that catch.”

A disbelieving Hays took his helmet off and raised it high in the air in admiration just before reaching second base.

“Just the feel and God-given talent,” Snitker said of the ability to make the catch. “You don't teach that. He's must-see TV.”

Fried gave up three runs on five hits with four strikeouts and four walks in seven innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: 3B Alec Bohm (left hand) sat for the second straight day after injuring himself while swinging the bat in the series opener on Thursday. Thomson said before the game that Bohm is progressing with treatment. ... Following the contest, Philadelphia reinstated left-handed reliever José Alvarado from the restricted list. He missed the last six games due to a personal matter. To make room for Alvarado, RHP Yunior Marte was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

UP NEXT

The teams complete their four-game series on Sunday night when Braves RHP Spencer Schwellenbach (5-6, 3.72) opposes Philadelphia RHP Aaron Nola (12-6, 3.30).

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Aaron Bracy, The Associated Press