PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — After an up-and-down start to the season, things were finally looking up this week for the Philadelphia Phillies this week.
While none of the games were easy, the Phillies managed to complete a four-game sweep of Milwaukee with a 2-0 win over the Brewers in the series finale.
The two-run victory comes after three days of one-run wins, and it was largely because of Zack Wheeler.
The Phillies pitcher went the distance as he allowed just three hits. Two of those hits came in the ninth inning, but Wheeler never lost confidence even with two runners on base.
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"They got those two hits right there, the last inning," said Wheeler.
"They weren’t anything special, but yeah, when your pitch count’s up in your last inning and you’re only up by two, it makes you a little nervous...but you have confidence in yourself and you’ve just got to make your pitches."
Wheeler made the pitches he needed to finish off the Brewers.
He also got some offensive help from Alec Bohm, who broke a scoreless tie with a solo homer in the seventh.
Bohm said it was easy playing behind Wheeler, who had complete faith in his defense and allowed the Brewers to put the ball in play.
"He works quick," Bohm said.
"You know you’re going to be involved. He’s just a horse. He wants the ball. He don’t care what his pitch count is. He doesn’t care what the score is."
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Wheeler's performance not only gave the Phillies the sweep, but also gave the bullpen a rest.
No matter what part of the season it is, the starters understand the importance of giving the relievers as much time off as possible.
"You can save arms out there or save pitches," said Wheeler.
"It’s a long season. It adds up over the season. It’s another off day for them, so that’s always good."
The Phillies won't have the day off on Friday, as they begin a nine-game road trip.
The Phillies struggled in their first road trip of the season. Manager Joe Girardi knows they have to play better away from home.
Girardi is hoping his players can build momentum off the sweep of the Brewers, and believes his team's resiliency was evident throughout the week.
"It just seems they got better and better as the week went on," Girardi said.
"But they’re resilient. They never give at bats away. They never make excuses. They come to work every day and work hard and fight."