Wheels of perfection: Phillies 3, Guardians 0

May 23, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler (45) throws a pitch during the fifth inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images On Saturday, news broke of Taijuan Walker signing with the Angels on a minor league deal. I’ve always felt the hate directed at Walker was a bit over the top.

Sure, he wasn’t good, but he did have some stretches where he was an effective pitcher for the team. His time here was clearly up and they made the correct move in getting rid of him, but since they made that decision, something has changed. That something is Zack Wheeler returning and being his usual, Cy Young caliber self.

It seems as though the season has turned on his return, which isn’t too surprising since going from Walker to Wheeler is quite the leap forward in talent. But it’s nights like tonight, where Wheeler didn’t have this top top stuff and was still able to carve up the Cleveland lineup. However, his offense was once again stymied by the Guardians starter, this time in the form of Slade Cecconi.

Cecconi was going through the Phillies lineup similarly to what Gavin Williams did last night. He was matched by Wheeler, perhaps even beaten, particularly in the fourth inning. In that inning, Chase DeLauter doubled to begin the inning, wobbling Wheeler a bit.