Zack Wheeler and the Phillies beat the Reds, 5-0

The Phillies used a familiar formula to beat the Reds in Cincinnati on Thursday afternoon: the offense scored five runs, the starting pitcher dealt, and the high-leverage relievers finished it off.

This team makes it look easy sometimes. Bryson Stott hit an RBI triple in the third to get the scoring started. Kyle Schwarber brought Stott home with a sacrifice fly and gave the Phillies a 2-0 lead. Trea Turner hit a double. And Bryce Harper, in his first game back from paternity leave, capped off the inning with a two-run home run to extend the lead to 4-0.

“Wild, isn’t it?” manager Rob Thomson said about Harper after the game. “Daddy strength.” Harper hit a home run in his first game back after the birth of his first child, as well.

Stott singled in the sixth to drive in the Phils’ fifth run, which has been the team’s magic number this season: the Phillies are 12-0 when they score at least five runs, and 4-10 when they score four runs or fewer.

In retrospect, however, Zack Wheeler, Orion Kerkering, and Jeff Hoffman would have won this game with barely any support. Wheeler threw another gem: 6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 4 BB, 8 K. Kerkering pitched 1.2 scoreless innings and maintained his perfect 0.00 ERA through his fourth appearance of the season. And Hoffman struck out three of the five batters he faced.

“Two hits, but also a bunch of walks, which is frustrating,” said Wheeler, ever the perfectionist. “It’ll get cleaned up. The results are good, just need to fix the deep counts and walks.”

The rest of the league is in serious trouble if Wheeler, a Cy Young frontrunner with a 1.93 ERA, pitches any better than he has to start the season. It’s possible he’s grading himself on a curve against the other members of the Phillies rotation, two of whom somehow have even lower ERAs:

The Phillies find themselves 16-10 overall as they prepare for a six-game west coast trip to face the Padres and Angels. Aaron Nola gets the ball for the Phils on Friday against San Diego RHP Joe Musgrove (3-2, 5.74 ERA).