Wheeler (1-3) allowed one hit and four walks while striking out seven across six scoreless innings to earn the win Thursday against the Rockies.
Wheeler soothed some early season concern with an outing that was reminiscent of his excellent 2021 campaign. The only hit he surrendered was a leadoff triple to Sam Hilliard in the third inning, but Wheeler managed to work out of the jam. The only downside to Wheeler's start was that he issued four free passes, though he still threw 62 of his 90 pitches for strikes and began 15 of the 22 batters he faced with a strike. Through 18.2 innings, Wheeler owns a bloated 5.79 ERA but Thursday's start was a step forward.