Updated by Joe D,
Last night in what many saw as his final Triple-A tuneup before a promotion to the Mets, Zack Wheeler allowed four runs and eight hits with a walk in 4.2 innings with seven strikeouts.
According to SNY’s Kevin Burkhardt, Wheeler will not start next Friday as has been widely speculated. Instead he will be slotted into the rotation during the team’s five-game series in Atlanta which has been Adam Rubin’s stance all along.
Told Wheeler isn't pitching here Friday- and after rain pushed Harvey to Friday, he absolutely won't start that day. DH in Atlanta it is
— Kevin Burkhardt (@KBurkhardtSNY) June 8, 2013
Manager Wally Backman said after last night’s game that Wheeler was pretty good in the first four innings, but “there was some bad pitch selection in the fifth and he kind of just left the ball up in the zone.”
According to John Harper of the Daily News, the Mets could push Wheeler back, not only because of the start, but because they want to be sure it’s after the Super 2 cutoff.
That makes more sense to me and even more cents for the Mets. 🙂
Original Post 12:00 AM
Well, he definitely wasn’t helped by the home plate umpire tonight, but a tough fifth inning ruined what was shaping up to be an effective start from Zack Wheeler. This was supposed to be Wheeler’s last AAA tune-up before his potential MLB call-up on Monday, and for a while, things looked excellent. Despite what I thought was a terrible strike zone from the HP umpire, Wheeler cruised through his first four innings on the mound — allowing just one earned run off four hits and no walks. He struck out six over that span and was very impressive.
The fifth inning, however, brought a world of trouble for the young Wheeler. A lead-off walk, his first of the game, followed by a base knock by Carlos Triunfel put runners on the corners with none out. He would go on to allow three more hits and earned runs in the inning, including an RBI double to once-Mariner Dustin Ackley. He was removed after 105 pitches, 65 of them strikes, in favor of Sean Henn. Henn got him out of the inning without further damage.
His final line was 4.2 IP, 8 H, 1 BB, 4 ER, 7 K.
Something worth noting is the long break Wheeler had between the fourth and fifth innings, because the 51s dropped a five spot in the inning after scoring three runs the inning before. The 51s would go on to win the game handily, 12-5, with Andrew Brown and Wilmer Flores each going yard.
Wheeler really did look like a different pitcher in the fifth inning compared to the rest of the game, but I am fairly certain the first four innings were more appropriate to gauge him on. The Mets are very confident in his readiness, so I will give him the benefit of the doubt.
Hopefully he finds his command when he gets called up. I was nervous for Harvey last year cause he had command issues as well. Now Harvey barely walks any one and you would never know he had a problem walking people in the minors. Could be that they are workin on tuning up their off speed stuff in the minors and so they walk people when they get away from their plus pitchers. I hope this is the same deal with wheeler, especially cause the thin air takes a little off your breaking stuff in Vegas’ thin air and the ball travels further when hit. Either way I am hoping for the best and can’t wait I see the kid hit NY with Montero not far behind! Loved the draft too! Very excited our future is on the way after waiting patiently the last couple years! Us true mets fans can see what’s coming and it’s looking very good for us! Flores btw, keeps hitting doubles and those one hit games are turning into multi hit games as I thought they would with his amazing ability o put the barrel on the ball! Soon his doubles will be turning into home runs cause he’s still 21 and getting stronger! I would love to see Flores starting 1st base next year and if he struggles for a few months we could platoon Ike in June next year! Let Ike start in Vegas next year for two months so he can get his month struggle out of the way in Vegas where it won’t hurt us! Haha hope Dominic moves fast with his pure hitting bat, power, arm and fielding! 3 years would be nice if he becomes as special as a lot of people think he can be! The future is good fellow mets fans!!