You might expect a streak of excellence from Phillies starting pitching if it was led by their dominant ace, Zack Wheeler. You might not expect a streak of excellence from Phillies starting pitching in the absence of their dominant ace,

So the Phillies will soldier on. They will try to win the World Series without their Game 1 starter, their ace, the best pitcher in baseball since joining the Phils prior to the 2020 season. It is impossible to replace someone who has put up a 2.18 ERA in 11 career postseason starts over 70 1/3 innings with a 0.725 WHIP.

Zack Wheeler, whose season is over after requiring major surgery for his injury, received a heartfelt message from the Phillies.