Zack Wheeler sharp as Phillies top struggling White Sox

Phillies ace Zack Wheeler finally comments on stunning Cy Young loss

Zack Wheeler tossed a no-hitter for 7 1/3 innings, Brandon Marsh homered and drove in two runs and the host Philadelphia Phillies defeated the struggling Chicago White Sox 9-5 on Saturday. Wheeler (1-3) allowed one hit, struck out eight, walked two and hit a batter. Jose Alvarado recorded the final out with the bases loaded in the ninth inning for his fourth save of the season. Nick Castellanos had three hits and two RBIs, Trea Turner added two hits and two RBIs and Bryce Harper contributed two hits and an RBI. Johan Rojas also had three hits. The Phillies have won five in a row. Korey Lee hit a two-run double and a single, and Dominic Fletcher added an RBI double for the White Sox, who scored five times in the ninth inning. Eloy Jimenez added two hits and an RBI. White Sox starter Michael Soroka (0-3) gave up six hits, three walks and five runs, striking out two, in 4 2/3 innings. Chicago fell to 3-17 for the worst 20-game start in franchise history. In the bottom of the seventh, Turner hit a two-run double to left-center field to increase the Phillies’ lead to 9-0.

Wheeler’s no-hit bid was snapped on a single to right field by Lee with one out in the eighth. Later in the inning, Gavin Sheets popped out to Alec Bohm in foul ground at third base with the bases loaded to end a scoring threat. The Phillies went ahead 2-0 in the second inning when Marsh launched a two-run home run to right-center field. Castellanos followed with a triple to right to snap an 0-for-16 slump and he scored on an RBI single to left by Rojas for a 3-0 advantage. Wheeler allowed only two baserunners in the first five innings — a walk to Nicky Lopez in the first and Paul DeJong reaching after being hit by a pitch in the fifth.

The Phillies loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth and Castellanos responded with a two-run single to center off Tanner Banks for a 5-0 lead. In the sixth, Braden Shewmake flied out to right, Lopez struck out swinging and Jimenez also went down swinging. The Phillies took a 7-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth after an RBI single by Harper and a sacrifice fly by J.T. Realmuto.