July 07, 2025
Zack Wheeler pitched one of the best games in Phillies history Sunday afternoon, when he made one bad pitch over nine full innings while striking out 12. We've already gushed about how he stacks up against the best pitchers in recent team history. But how does his performance against the Reds compare to the best games Phillies hurlers have tossed since the turn of the century?
In the first half of the quarter century, arms like Roy Halladay — a first ballot Hall of Famer — and Cliff Lee dominated at a time when the game was a little different. Halladay, for example had 18 complete games with the Phillies and Lee had 12. And they weren't even in Philly for more than 10 combined seasons.
Wheeler's outing Sunday was a standout in its era (he has five total complete games over 11 MLB seasons). How does it compare to other Phillies' pitching performances in the years since?
We've compiled a list of the 10 best games, based on Bill James' game score metric that tries to quantify and compare single game performances (stats via ESPN and baseball reference). Any game score over 50 is considered to be above average. Very few games have ever eclipsed 100. A few recent Phillies came close:
It was a remarkable way to go out. The 2008 World Serves MVP pitched his last game as a member of the Phillies before the 2015 trade deadline in Chicago, and did not surrender a single hit. It was the 13th no-hitter in team history and capped off a memorable Phillies career that saw Hamels start 294 games and earn wins in 114 of them. He was shipped to the Rangers for a package of players that included Jorge Alfaro — who was eventually traded to the Marlins to help the team acquire J.T. Realmuto.
In his second ever start for the Phillies, VV pitched a complete game shutout with 16 strikeouts and just three hits. He would never reach those heights again, posting a 4.93 ERA over six seasons in Philadelphia. He is currently in the Guardians minor league system.
Here it is, tied for the second best pitching performance since Hamels' no-no. Wheeler was magnificent against Cincinnati. He struck out 12 and did not pitch out of the stretch at any point across nine innings — he had just one blemish, a solo homer to former Phillie Austin Hays.
Wheeler tied his own best game score, his other gem being his most recent complete game shutout as a Phillie (one of just two in his career). He held the Mets, his former team, to just two hits and a walk while striking out 11 that August day.
Nola allowed a single in the second and a single in the eighth in his best ever game, striking out 10 with just three baserunners (one was on an error) in the most impressive of his four career shutouts. There is probably a lot more Nola on this list than fans might expect, as he has been inconsistent for most of his career, oscillating between dominant and game-managing.
| Pitcher | Date | GS | Notes |
| Roy Halladay | May 29, 2010 | 98 | Perfect game |
| Kevin Millwood | April 27, 2003 | 96 | No-hitter |
| Cliff Lee | April 14, 2011 | 92 | 3-hitter, 12k |
| Cliff Lee | August 19, 2009 | 92 | 2-hitter, 11k |
| Randy Wolf | September 26, 2001 | 92 | 1-hitter |
| Jon Lieber | June 9, 2007 | 92 | 3-hitter, 11k |
| Cole Hamels | September 1, 2009 | 91 | 2-hitter |
| Roy Halladay | September 27, 2010 | 89 | 2-hitter |
The Phillies locked down Sánchez long term (through 2028) after his emergence last season, and this start was one of the biggest reasons why. The homegrown hurler looked like an ace in a three-hit shutout against Miami. He had nine strikeouts and no walks in the win.
Sort of out of nowhere, a marginal trade deadline fifth starter acquisition led to baseball history. In just his second start with the team, Lorenzen no-hit the Nationals. In the memorable outing, Lorenzen walked five and needed 124 pitches to reach the finish line. He had a 5.51 ERA over 11 total starts in Philadelphia, was not on the postseason roster and did not return the next year.
He didn't have his best stuff in this one, but Nola was able to walk a tightrope, scattering five hits and a hit batter en route to a shutout. The righty surrendered two hits in the eighth and two hits in the ninth, including a double, but held on for the crunch time 4-0 win.
One last shoutout for Nola, who allowed four hits and struck out eight last season as the Phillies came out of the gate red hot and stayed that way until the All-Star break. This was the most recent Nola shutout. He's struggled and battled injuries throughout 2025.
Wheels struck out 12 over eight scoreless innings against the Braves two seasons ago, but allowed five baserunners as he tiptoed to his third best outing ever in red pinstripes.
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