Zack Wheeler’s final outing before the All-Star break had the feel of a business trip. One of those grind-it-out, find-a-way kind of nights.
But sometimes, even an ace doesn’t have all the answers.
Jackson Merrill, stuck in a 35-game homerless drought, took Wheeler deep twice on Saturday night at Petco Park. The first was an opposite-field two-run shot in the second inning. The second, a solo blast in the sixth. Both tied the game.
Add in a go-ahead sacrifice fly from Manny Machado in the seventh, and the Padres had just enough to knock off the Phillies, 5–4, for a second straight night.
Merrill’s first homer came on a fastball out over the plate, and he didn’t miss it—sending it into the left-center seats to erase an early 2–0 Phils lead. His second shot, a line drive to right-center, knotted things again at 4. As he rounded first, Merrill offered a subtle fist pump before motioning toward San Diego’s bullpen—perhaps as much in relief as celebration.
Wheeler, named to the National League All-Star team but skipping Tuesday’s game due to the timing of this start, wasn’t as sharp as usual. He allowed six hits and four earned runs over six innings, walking one and striking out six. It was only the fourth time in 19 starts this year he gave up more than two earned runs.
The Phillies got on the board early thanks to Alec Bohm, who was hit by a pitch to lead off the second. He advanced on a wild pitch, scored on a Nick Castellanos single, and came home after a throwing error by Padres starter Yu Darvish. Bohm grounded out in the third but didn’t take the field in the bottom of the fourth. The club later announced he was dealing with a bruised rib cage.
His replacement, Edmundo Sosa, came through an inning later with a two-out, two-run single in the fifth that gave the Phillies a 4–3 lead and chased Darvish from the game.
But that lead didn’t hold. Merrill struck again in the sixth, and in the seventh, Fernando Tatis Jr. singled off reliever Tanner Banks (2–1), moved into scoring position, and scored on Machado’s sac fly to center.
The Phillies didn’t threaten late. David Morgan (1–1) earned the win with a clean inning out of the Padres’ pen, and Jeremiah Estrada retired the side in order in the ninth for his third save.
Futures Game Note
Catcher Eduardo Tait represented the Phillies in the All-Star Futures Game on Sunday in Atlanta, working behind the plate for two innings while contributing a groundout that eventuyally helped lead to a run for the NL in a 4-2 win.
Sunday Draft Day
The 2025 Draft will be conducted across two days from July 13-14, starting with the first round on Sunday, July 13. It will be broadcast on ESPN and MLB Network at 6 p.m. ET from the Coca-Cola Roxy in The Battery Atlanta.The opening night of the Draft will reveal the first 105 picks of the first three rounds, compensatory rounds, competitive balance rounds and prospect promotion incentive selections. The first 43 selections will be live, while the other 62 will be simulcasted on MLB.com.
The Phillies have the 26th pick in the first round.
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