Zack Wheeler threw seven shutout innings to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to a 3-0 win over the visiting Atlanta Braves in the third game of the four-game set on Saturday evening.
Wheeler (13-6) allowed four hits, struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter, finishing 3-1 in six starts in August with a 1.67 ERA.
Jeff Hoffman pitched a scoreless eighth for the Phillies and Carlos Estevez worked the ninth for his 23rd save and third in four opportunities since he was traded to Philadelphia from the Los Angeles Angels in late July.
Edmundo Sosa and Trea Turner homered and Austin Hays had two hits for the Phillies, who have won six of eight to extend their lead over the Braves to six games for first place in the National League East.
The Braves came into the day with a three-game lead over the New York Mets for the final NL wild-card spot.
Atlanta starter Max Fried (8-8) allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings. The left-hander struck out four and walked four.
Braves starting pitchers have allowed three runs or fewer in 20 straight games.
Sosa led off the third by hitting a 1-1 slider over the fence in left-center field for a 1-0 lead.
Fried pitched around leadoff walks in the fourth and fifth innings before Turner homered to end a nine-pitch at-bat to start the sixth and extend the lead to 2-0.
Phillies third baseman Weston Wilson, who was in the lineup because Alec Bohm missed his second straight game with a hand injury, walked with one out in the seventh. Sosa then drove him in with a double to right to extend the lead to 3-0.
Braves first baseman Matt Olson went 0-for-3 after recording an extra-base hit in a career-best eight straight games.
–Field Level Media