NL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: PHILLIES VS PADRES

October 18, 2022

Rob Thomson

Zack Wheeler

Petco Park

Philadelphia Phillies

Postgame 1 Press Conference

Phillies 2, Padres 0

Q. Zack, your velocity was up a couple miles per hour today. How did you feel, and how did you feel when you came out? It looked like it was going down a little bit.

ZACK WHEELER: Yeah, it was going down a little bit. I think that was why we made that decision. We had the guys in the bullpen to kind of be able to do that. I think we were all comfortable with it.

But adrenaline was going early in the game, velo was up a little bit. It was kind of expected, I guess.

Q. Rob, was this a co-decision? Was it your decision? Can you talk about his performance and the performance of your two bombers tonight?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah, I thought Zack's performance was outstanding. I mean, threw 24 pitches in the first inning and then settled right in, got a lot of first-pitch outs, two-seamer was really good. All his pitches were good, secondary pitches. Gave us seven quality innings, and can't say more about it. It was really good.

Usually when I make a decision, it's mine, but I want some input, too. We talked about it, and we talked about it after the sixth, and we decided, okay, we'll give him one more, and then we'll go from there.

Q. (No microphone.)

ROB THOMSON: Well, I thought Darvish was really good and we couldn't get much going, but Harper, three straight games with a home run, and Schwarber's game was just completely flush.

I mean, with the great pitching we had tonight, that's all we needed.

Q. Rob, two on, one out, Manny coming up, and you came out. What did you tell Alvarado or what was your message in that mound meeting?

ROB THOMSON: Well, we had a little confusion at second base on the Soto ball. I just wanted to settle everybody down. The crowd is into it. You've got the yellow flags going and all that stuff.

I wanted to settle down and make sure we knew exactly what we were going to do, if we ran what base we were going to throw to, remind the outfield we were keeping the double play in order and we're going to get a ground ball here and get a double play. But we didn't. We got a pop-out and a strikeout.

I just wanted to settle everybody down a little bit.

Q. Zack, the reaction in the dugout when Kyle hit that home run, it was pretty unbelievable. Where were you and what was your reaction to that swing and how far that ball went?

ZACK WHEELER: I'm always down the stairs, kind of out of the noise and all that just so I can keep my head, but I heard everybody sort of take off, so I ran up the stairs and I saw it land, and that was pretty crazy. I've never even seen that done in batting practice or anything.

Q. I think 24 pitches to start that first inning, then you got in a groove. What enabled you to get to that point?

ZACK WHEELER: I think I had to settle down the nerves a little bit. I had the nerves going. As much as I try to stay calm out there, I'm human, also.

The nerves got to me a little bit, but I was able to settle in, just try to stay on the game plan, throw first-pitch strikes, get ahead of guys and try to get quick outs.

Q. Obviously Schwarber's home run makes it 2-0, but how big a difference is that to get the extra run, and even momentum-wise for him to hit the ball that far, what did it do for the team?

ZACK WHEELER: Yeah, Harp started us off, got the momentum going. I was able to keep the crowd quiet as much as I could. And then Schwarbs had the insurance run, and that's always big. It kind of takes away that one swing of the bat type deal that they can catch up. Schwarber's home run was big, and we played a good game all around.

Q. These have been three just dominant years for you with the Phillies. What is it about being over here? Anything you've picked up these last few years to be that best version of yourself for the Phillies?

ZACK WHEELER: There's a lot that goes into it. I think Caleb has a lot to do with it, our pitching coach. He's helped me manipulate the ball, I guess you could say, a little better. Sort of paints a picture for me of how to hold the ball, how to throw it, that type of deal, rather than just gripping a slider and trying to throw a slider.

I think he's sort of sharpened my tools, I guess you could say, and I think that sort of helped me get to the next level.

But just playing with this defense behind me, everybody kind of talked about it, but man, I'm comfortable with those guys behind me every day of the week.

Q. As for this year, in that sort of month or three, four weeks from August 20th to September, what were you able to -- how were you able to get stronger and come back the way you have?

ZACK WHEELER: Yeah, Paul works with me every day, our trainer, and can't say enough about him. He's there every day for me, and he works his magic. And we work hard to stay healthy and be able to pitch. I give a lot of credit to him.

Q. You've waited a long time for these postseason opportunities, and I'm just wondering how happy you must be about how you've performed, or have you surprised yourself? Has it been as expected?

ZACK WHEELER: It's kind of a blur, to be honest with you. I mean, I go out there, I'm excited, just try to stay who I am, not get too high, not get too low, just stay on the game plan. Just throw strikes, and hopefully that works.

Q. Yesterday you said it's just like any other start, but I imagine -- explain the difference of the butterflies between a regular start in June versus today.

ZACK WHEELER: Yeah, you might be a little nervous before every start in the season, but it kind of -- you kind of get used to it, I guess you could say.

Obviously playoffs, whole different story. It means a lot more every single game, every single pitch. Fans are really loud, so you've got to stay composed out there and not let that bother you.

But yeah, just trying to stay the same person.

Q. Rob, did you think about subbing Sosa in for defense in the ninth inning there with Alec?

ROB THOMSON: Well, we pinch ran for him, but with his at-bat coming up, same thing this Castellanos, Castellanos and Bohm were coming up in the tenth, it would have been. I don't like doing that.

Q. Did you think that was a double play, that ball there?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah, so what happened was the umpire -- when Bohmer fielded the ball, the umpire was moving towards the mound from his position, and Bohmer didn't actually see Stott coming. He was actually throwing the ball to Segura. He was the only guy you saw at the time.

It just kind of got caught in the middle with it and wasn't all -- I thought the ball could have been caught anyway, but didn't get an out. But that's what happens. He came up, the umpire was kind of in the way, and really didn't see Stott.

Q. Given the circumstances of the stage, the setting, the situation, where would you rank this start in your career?

ZACK WHEELER: I think each start from the beginning of the playoffs is just topping one another, just the magnitude of it. So yeah, this is probably the biggest start that I've had.

Q. Zack, I wanted to ask you sort of the dynamics of you talked about the first 24 pitches or so and then things got going for you. I'm wondering what happens during that period? I know sometimes if someone has a headache you start thinking about the headache and then suddenly it's gone. Is that sort of what happens to you, you're thinking about the pitches and then suddenly you're just pitching and don't realize, or is it different than that?

ZACK WHEELER: I think it's just calming the nerves, obviously, but just trying to stay on your game plan, just throw strikes, and once you get ahead of guys, get some outs and just trust your stuff a little bit. I think it makes it a lot easier out there for the rest of the game.

Q. You issued a four-pitch walk, then you had I think a nine-pitch at-bat with Machado. Did that at-bat help settle you, knowing that you had to grind a little bit? Seemed like after that at-bat you were you.

ZACK WHEELER: Yeah, that was right off the get-go, just a battle.

Yeah, I mean, Machado, he's battling up there, and I'm just trying to throw my best pitch every single pitch, and luckily just flied out.

Q. Rob, you're up 1-0. We haven't talked about you winning the game and what it means as far as setting up the rest of the series for you.

ROB THOMSON: Well, it's always nice to win the first game, but tomorrow is pretty important, too, because this is kind of a swing game. We didn't really take advantage of this series, especially with going home.

But they've got a pretty good pitcher going out there, and we've got to pay attention to detail and make sure we come out here ready to play and play well.

We're going to prepare and we're going to compete, and we'll do everything we can to play well tomorrow.

Q. Zack, back in '15 when the Mets went to the LCS World Series, were you there with them, or were you still rehabbing somewhere else?

ZACK WHEELER: I was down in Florida rehabbing.

Q. What were your emotions watching them go through that without you? Do you think of that now that you're getting a chance to do it?

ZACK WHEELER: I don't think of it now, but yeah, it was tough to watch my friends, my teammates go out there and play in those type of games. I wanted to be there. I wanted to compete. I felt like I should have been there. But obviously injury kind of stopped that.

Now I'm here with the Phillies and having a lot of fun.