Zack Wheeler
#45 SP
New York Mets
2013 STATS
- GM15
W7
L4
BB39
K75
- ERA3.38
Zack Wheeler matched a season high by walking five batters in five innings in the Mets' eventual 8-1 loss to the Cleveland Indians. And Wheeler was not happy with his performance at Progressive Field on Friday night, even though he only surrendered three runs (two earned).
Wheeler noted his front shoulder was "flying open," causing his pitches to sail out of the strike zone high to his arm side. Wheeler had recently harnessed the control issues that led to walks early in his major league career.
"It's just a bad job tonight overall for me, not getting ahead of guys, just falling behind," Wheeler said. "They did a good job of moving runners and stuff."
Said Terry Collins: "That's very uncharacteristic of the way he's been pitching. The one thing that we've talked about in the last month is that he's 'pouring' the strike zone. Tonight he was missing."
Wheeler, pitching the latest he ever has in a season, said fatigue was a non-factor and certainly not an excuse.
"Like I've said before, once you go out there, you aren't really tired," Wheeler said. "That's just in between starts you're lagging and stuff. It really didn't have anything to do with tonight."
Said catcher Travis d'Arnaud: "He just didn't have his best stuff tonight."
