Zack Wheeler pitches a one-hit masterpiece in a 3-1 Phillies victory against the Reds

Bryson Stott hit the home run that put the Phillies ahead in the eighth inning Sunday. But it wasn’t until a few minutes later that a jam-packed crowd rose, clapped, and began to sing in unison.

“Let’s go, Wheeler!”

The serenade began when Zack Wheeler climbed the dugout steps to come back out for the ninth inning. And it kept right on going until a fly ball landed in Max Kepler’s glove in medium-depth left field for the last out on Wheeler’s 108th pitch in a 3-1 victory over the Reds.

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Less than an hour later, Wheeler got named to the National League All-Star team, not that he needed vindication. Not after what several teammates said was the best they’ve ever seen him, which is saying something considering he’s been the best pitcher in baseball since 2021.

“From start to finish, that was as good of command — as good as his stuff has been — since I’ve been with him,” said J.T. Realmuto, who has caught 128 of Wheeler’s 150 Phillies starts. “It’s awesome. It’s just incredible.”

Said Stott: “He’s incredible. He had his plus-plus stuff today. We knew we just had to scratch one or two across. Runs for them were going to be hard to come by.”

And manager Rob Thomson, after the Phillies stretched the division lead to 1½ games over the Mets: “After the fourth I thought, this has a chance to be a no-hitter or a perfect game. I really did.”

It almost was. Save for Austin Hays’ leadoff homer in the fifth inning on a fastball that, as Wheeler put it, “ran back over the middle of the plate,” he was perfect.

One hit.

No walks.

Twelve strikeouts.

Total dominance.

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All in all, best start of his career?

“Yeah,” Wheeler said. “I mean, I haven’t thrown that many complete games, so that’s a plus. And I don’t know how many hits I’ve let up in those. There’s been some other satisfying ones along the way, but yeah, today, that was probably up there.”

Get this: It marked Wheeler’s first complete game in four years — since Aug. 8, 2021, a two-hit shutout against the Mets. There have been 103 complete games since then, eight by other Phillies pitchers.

So, after getting the last out, Wheeler had a question for Realmuto.

“After we shook hands, did a little hug, and he turned around and asked me, ‘What do we do out here?’” Realmuto said. “Just a funny little moment. But it was cool to experience that with him. It was a fun day.”

It began with a 96 mph ball to Reds leadoff man TJ Friedl. But Wheeler pounded the strike zone with four-seamers and sinkers and sweeping sliders. He sprinkled in a few curveballs and cutters and finally got to his splitter late in the game.

Wheeler struck out the side on only 11 pitches in the third inning. He plowed through the top of the order in the fourth and again in the seventh.

“He’s got all of the weapons,” Reds manager Terry Francona said. “And obviously he has the last weapon — the compete mode. That was impressive."

And when Wheeler came back to the dugout after the top of the eighth inning in a 1-1 game after throwing his 100th pitch and walked downstairs into the air-conditioned tunnel that leads the clubhouse, Thomson followed.

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“How’re you feeling?” Thomson said.

“I’m good,” Wheeler said.

“Well, your stuff is dominant,” Thomson said.

“I’d lie to you,” Wheeler said, “but I’m good.”

Cue the laughter. But seriously ...

“He still had his stuff in the eighth,” Thomson said. “He was dominant in the eighth. I would’ve taken him out to 115 pitches.”

Said Wheeler: “Usually if he wants me out, he meets me at the bottom of the stairs. He didn’t, so I just went down. I’ve always been honest with him. I think we have to trust with each other. He asked if I was good, and I said yeah, so he let me go back out.”

Stott’s homer, only his second since May 17, made it easier. And when Wheeler reappeared for the ninth inning, the crowd showed its approval of Thomson’s decision.

“Let’s go, Wheeler!”

It got loud, too, especially for early July. Stott said he had to turn up the volume on the PitchCom device in his ear. Realmuto had trouble hearing, too.

“Very cool,” Wheeler said. “It was like a playoff vibe, and it got me through that. It was really cool.”

It also might have put an exclamation point on the only real uncertainty about Wheeler’s All-Star credentials. He was a shoo-in to make the team. Nobody needed to wait for the official announcement.

The only question is whether he should be the NL’s starting pitcher on July 15 in Atlanta, where he was born and raised. He grew up only a few miles from Truist Park.

It’s either Wheeler or Pirates ace Paul Skenes. Wheeler has more strikeouts (148 to 125) and a better WHIP (0.84 to 0.92). Skenes has a slight edge in ERA (1.94 to 2.17)

Thomson is biased, of course. But he also has experience with picking an All-Star Game starter after managing the NL team in 2023.

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“In this case, because they’ve had very similar first halves — both have been great, let’s put it that way — I’d give my guy the first shot," Thomson said. “Just to be transparent.”

Is there room for sentimentality in Wheeler’s hometown?

“Yeah, I’d take that into account,” Thomson said.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will announce his decision on the eve of the All-Star Game. But Wheeler couldn’t have made a better closing argument.