By Sam Bush
Ex-Phillie Brad Miller hit a two-run single with two outs after an error in the second, and Kole Calhoun also drove in two runs as the Rangers won 4-2 for their ninth win in a row over the Phillies since 2014
Wheeler (6-4) lost for the first time in his last 10 starts, since losing his first three starts this season after finishing second in the NL Cy Young Award voting last year. The right-hander struck out eight, but walked three and gave up four runs (two earned) on seven hits on 99 pitches over 4 1/3 innings.
The Rangers led 2-0 on Miller’s single that came a few batters after a fielding error by first baseman Rhys Hoskins, and before Wheeler recorded his fifth strikeout already to get out of that inning. Josh Smith raced home from first base for the second out on a ball that was grounded not very hard into the outfield.
Miller had only one hit in his previous 17 at-bats before then. The designated hitter played part of 2019 in Philadelphia, and all of last season there before signing a two-year deal with Texas.
Phillies interim manager Rob Thomson said Smith likely would have been held at third base had center fielder Odubel Herrera fielded the ball instead of letting right fielder Nick Castellanos do so with his momentum going away from the infield.
“I talked to Odubel about it,” Thomson said.
Kyle Schwarber extended his career-best on-base streak to 26 games for the Phillies with a two-run homer that tied the game at 2 in the third. But Texas went ahead to stay in the bottom of that inning after Corey Seager had a leadoff double and scored on Calhoun’s one-out single.
