Inside The Phillies

Phillies Pitchers Set Franchise Record Before All-Star Game

Three Philadelphia Phillies pitchers made franchise history before the All-Star Break.

Tyler Maher

Jul 5, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola.
Jul 5, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Aaron Nola. / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
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The Philadelphia Phillies continued their marvelous season on Tuesday, pounding the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-1. The Phillies shelled Dodgers starter Bobby Miller for nine runs and 10 hits in four innings, giving Zack Wheeler more than enough run support against the NL West leaders.

While Wheeler exited the game after five innings due to lower back tightness, he still picked up the win with five innings of one-run ball. The victory was his 10th of the season, matching Aaron Nola and Ranger Suarez for the team lead.

Wheeler probably didn't know it, but his win was a historic one for Philadelphia. The 2024 Phillies are the first team in franchise history to have three pitchers with at least 10 wins before the All-Star Game.

That's an impressive achievement, especially nowadays with starters pitching fewer innings than before. Not even Philadelphia's 2011 super-rotation of Roy Halladay. Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt accomplished it.

With Tuesday's outing, Wheeler improved to 10-4 with a 2.70 ERA, a 0.99 WHIP and 126 strikeouts in 116 2/3 innings. With the All-Star Break coming up, the hope is that he can use the extra time off to recover and avoid the injured list.

While Nola (10-4, 3.48 ERA) hasn't been as dominant as Wheeler, he's been excellent in his own right. He's having a typical season by his standards and recently notched his 100th career win. The veteran righty is on pace to approach 200 innings again and has lowered his ERA by nearly a full run from last year's 4.46.

Then there's Suarez, who's emerged as arguably the team's best starter. He leads the National League with a 2.58 ERA, which has helped him go 10-3. The 10 wins have already matched his career high from two years ago, so his next victory will be a personal best.

With three elite starting pitchers at the top of their rotation, it's no wonder the Phillies have the best record in baseball.

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Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler is a writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. He grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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