PHILADELPHIA — Zack Wheeler earned that comeback win Thursday night at Citizens Bank Park.
Wheeler hit a no-hitter against the Tigers in the eighth inning but had to watch as they tied the game in the eighth and took the lead in the ninth inning. But Bryce Harper and Co. sparked a comeback, which Clemens crowned in the ninth round with the first walk-off hit of his career to a 3-2 victory.
Clemens ripped a fastball into right field to hit Trea Turner from second base. He started the lap first and almost got second place before his teammates mobbed him.
“It was incredible,” said Clemens.
The Phillies have won five straight games, improving to 30-32. Their top four starters — their only four starters right now — have each pitched seven or more innings in their last four games. The Phillies had not had four consecutive starts longer than seven innings since July 9 and July 12, 2014, when Roberto Hernández, David Buchanan, AJ Burnett, and Cole Hamels did so.
He finished the seventh inning with 100 pitches and knew he needed a quick eighth to end the game.
Wheeler said he would have jumped at the opportunity had he kept the no-hitter intact. But he also understood the big picture.
“Obviously everyone wants to throw a no-hitter, but at the same time you have to be smart about it,” Wheeler said. “It’s a long season. Ultimately, we want to win the World Series. That’s what counts. That’s what I want to be there for.”
Wheeler got Akil Baddoo landing in the second pitch to the first out in the eighth pitch. Jonathan Schoop then hit a ball over the third baseline. Phillies third baseman Josh Harrison made a play, but his throw missed Clemens, who was unable to catch it.
Tyler Nevin followed up Harrison’s mistake with a single to the right, ending Wheeler’s no-hit bid and night at 108 pitches. Zack Short’s colorful single against Seranthony Domínguez allowed Schoop to score the deciding run. Then the Tigers got the starting shot in the ninth round.
But Harper started with a first-pitch double to the right at the end of the ninth round. Trea Turner walked to lead the runners to first and second place. Bryson Stott’s one-off infield single weighed on the bases. Brandon Marsh’s sacrificial flight into left field tied the game for Harper.
Clemens shot a 2:1 sinker right past Alex Lange and scored for Turner.
“If you don’t do anything, you get hit in this league,” Lange said. “That is the bottom line. It’s a good league with really good batsmen. That’s a lot of all-stars on this team. If you don’t, you will be charged, and that’s what happened.”
Clemens is not an all-star. He played sparingly with the Tigers last season — throwing four times on cleaning duty in the ninth inning and batting just 12 times in the ninth — and they put him in a trade with Gregory Soto in January. Clemens didn’t make the Phillies’ Opening Day roster, but joined the team in early April when Darick Hall suffered a thumb injury.
Clemens took his chance. He hits .267 with four home runs, 11 RBIs and a .753 OPS.
“His pops were here, too,” Harper said, referring to Roger Clemens, who passed the Phillies broadcast booth early in the game. “It’s really cool to have the opportunity to play in front of your dad.”
Good teams need role players like Clemens who develop over the course of a season. The depth is crucial.
But then it also starts with the pitching. The Phillies, too, need Wheeler, Nola, Suárez and Walker to continue.
“Any time you can do that, you can let four guys go out there and dominate. … We still need that fifth, right?” Harper said. “Hopefully, whoever that is or whatever that might be, we’ll be able to put a little less pressure on the bullpen.”