Less than 24 hours after suffering a gut-wrenching walk-off loss in Cincinnati, the San Diego Padres rolled into Philadelphia hoping for a bounce-back.

Instead, they ran into Zack Wheeler at his sharpest. The veteran right-hander carved through San Diego’s lineup for eight scoreless innings as the Phillies claimed a 4–0 win in Monday’s series opener at Citizens Bank Park. The Padres have now dropped back-to-back games and were shut out for the sixth time this season.

Wheeler was in complete command from the jump. He allowed just six hits, walked none, and struck out 10 over 107 pitches (74 strikes). San Diego never moved a runner past second base against him. Wheeler generated 19 swinging strikes, 14 called strikes, and opened 17 of 30 plate appearances with first-pitch strikes. His fastball sat 95–97 mph throughout, and his sharp secondary offerings left Padres hitters guessing all night.

“That was as good a pitching performance as I’ve seen all year,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said postgame. “He and Realmuto are obviously on the same page. Secondary pitches in properly for effect. I thought he was fantastic.”

Despite a recent trend of leaning lightly on their bullpen, the Phillies trusted Wheeler to work deep — a wise choice considering their relievers entered the game ranking 25th in ERA (4.55), 23rd in WHIP (1.39), and 24th in opponent batting average (.261). T.J. Banks took over in the ninth and sealed the shutout, allowing just an infield single to Xander Bogaerts before retiring Jake Cronenworth for the final out.

Philadelphia’s offense didn’t overpower, but capitalized on traffic and mistakes. In the second inning, Max Kepler doubled, J.T. Realmuto singled him to third, and Bryson Stott drove him in with a groundout. The fourth inning was fueled by two infield singles — one from Brandon Marsh that plated Stott, and another from Trea Turner that brought in Marsh to make it 3–0. In the fifth, Nick Castellanos crushed a 75 mph knuckleball from Matt Waldron 372 feet to left for a solo homer, extending the lead to 4–0.

Nick Castellanos sends this one out in a HURRY ? pic.twitter.com/Duuw7X26hD

— MLB (@MLB) July 1, 2025

Waldron, making a spot start for San Diego, fell to 0–1 on the season. He allowed four earned runs on six hits and six walks across 4.2 innings, striking out three and throwing 104 pitches (57 strikes). While his knuckleball did induce soft contact, he struggled to command it consistently, throwing three wild pitches and walking multiple hitters who eventually came around to score. His Game Score of 33 summed up a night where execution fell just short of intent.

San Diego’s bullpen was a bright spot. Wandy Peralta entered with two outs in the fifth and struck out Stott looking on a 95 mph sinker. He then needed just six pitches to work a 1-2-3 sixth. Rookie David Morgan finished the game with two clean innings, retiring six of the seven batters he faced. His lone blemish was a hit-by-pitch to Bryce Harper, who was erased one pitch later on a 1–4–3 double play.

The Padres’ offense was led by Bogaerts, who went 3-for-4 with three hard-hit balls. Luis Arraez added two singles, while Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. each chipped in one. But San Diego went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left five men stranded. The bottom of the order struggled mightily, as Sheets, Cronenworth, and Johnson combined to go 0-for-11 with six strikeouts.

One of the few Padres highlights came in the third inning, when Jackson Merrill made a sensational leaping catch at the center field wall, robbing Max Kepler of what would have been a three-run homer. The rookie timed his jump perfectly, snatching the ball just as it cleared the top of the fence to preserve a 1–0 deficit.

JACKSON MERRILL WITH THE HOME RUN ROBBERY! ?

(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/1sV5PYn2gy

— ESPN BET (@ESPNBET) June 30, 2025

Manager Mike Shildt made sure to spotlight the play postgame. “I’m glad you brought that up. Man, what a special play,” Shildt said. Jackson’s play was fantastic. It was a web gem. A great play by him. You know, it’s a bright spot in the game.”

The win lifted the Phillies to 50–35, keeping them in control of the NL East. The Padres, now 45–39, will look to even the series on Tuesday. Nick Pivetta (8–2, 3.36 ERA) is slated to take the mound against Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez (6–2, 2.79 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 3:40 p.m. PT.

J.J. Rodriguez

J.J. Rodriguez is a passionate sports writer making his debut with East Village Times. Born and raised in Southwest Florida, he is a father of four and an eight-year U.S. Marine Corps veteran who has lived in Southern California since 1996. A devoted fan of the San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Florida Gators, J.J. brings a lifetime of sports enthusiasm to his writing. He’s currently pursuing a degree in elementary education and enjoys life as an empty-nester with his wife of 19 years, Lisa.