Matt Wisler was an elite prospect when he pitched eight superb innings to beat the Mets in his major league debut June 19, 2015. Since then his career ventured off-course, down some bumpy roads, his wheels spinning in Triple-A and Wisler pretty much slipping from the collective consciousness of the Braves’ fan base.
But he got a chance to start a major league game Thursday for only the second time in 20 months, and it would be an understatement to say Wisler made the most of the opportunity. He was terrific, retiring the first 11 batters he faced and allowing only two hits, one run and no walks with eight strikeouts in seven innings of the Braves’ 12-4 win against the Mets at SunTrust Park.
“I felt good. I felt better as the game went on,” said Wisler, who retired the last nine batters he faced after Todd Frazier’s leadoff homer in the fifth inning, striking out Frazier to end the seventh.
“My slider felt like I was throwing it stronger as the game went on. The seventh inning was probably some of the best sliders I’ve thrown in a long time.”
In his last Triple-A start Saturday at Rochester, Wisler allowed three hits, two runs and one walk with eight strikeouts in seven innings.
“That was the report his last time out at Gwinnett, that it was as good as they’d seen him,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said, “And probably that (Thursday) is the best I’ve seen him since I’ve been around him.”
Of course, about the only thing Rochester has in common with the Mets is being from the same state. This was the National League East leaders that Wisler dominated Thursday, handing the Mets just their fifth loss in 18 games and first loss in seven road games this season.
The 25-year-old right-hander threw 66 strikes in 102 pitches and completely outclassed Mets starter Matt Harvey in every way.
“He was just on the attack with all his pitches,” Snitker said. “Really good breaking ball, he was locating his fastball. He was as aggressive as I’ve ever seen him, I think. Just on the attack, pitching to get guys out. I really like what I saw.”
Wisler pitched so well that folks might wonder where this has been and can they see more of it soon. He was recalled from Gwinnett on Thursday to make an emergency start in place of Anibal Sanchez, the Braves’ veteran fifth starter who strained a hamstring running in the outfield Wednesday during pregame warm-ups.
“It was my first time starting (in the majors) since I had one start last year, so to get up there and throw like that, I felt really good,” he said. “I think the last start in Triple-A was the best I felt in a couple of years, and tonight was just building off of that.”
After Frazier’s leadoff homer in the fifth, Wisler retired the next nine batters, including a strikeout of Asdrubal Cabrera to start the seventh inning. Cabrera was the first Met to reach base against Wisler, on a two-out single in the fourth inning.
“(Wisler) was awesome,” said Braves left fielder Preston Tucker, who helped by driving in five runs with a pair of doubles including a two-run double off Harvey in the third that pushed the Braves’ lead to 6-0. “I hadn’t gotten a chance to see (Wisler) pitch much lately but when he was with San Diego I played him a lot in the Texas League and that’s pretty much what I remembered. He’s always attacking hitters, working quick, working efficiently, and it’s fun to play behind.”
Wisler gave up two runs and six hits in 14 innings over consecutive wins at Arizona and against the Padres Aug. 25 and Aug. 31, 2016. But in his 24 major-league games (five starts) since then, before Thursday, he had gone 1-3 with a 7.64 ERA, a .317 opponents’ batting average and .930 opponents’ OPS.
He had allowed 69 hits and 45 earned runs in 53 innings in those games.
Was he doing anything different Thursday?
“Yeah, I worked with a guy in Atlanta this offseason on trying to stay back a little bit more,” Wisler said. “I think that kind of helped tonight, just staying back on the slider, staying back on the heater; it’s got a little more jump to it. My velo in spring training was down and now it’s back up to 94 (mph), which I’m happy to see. Just staying behind the ball a lot better, a little more closed so guys can’t see it.”
His last win before Thursday came Sept. 18, 2016. His only start since the end of the 2016 season was June 10 against the Mets, when he gave up six hits, four runs and three walks in six innings of a loss at SunTrust Park.
At spring training this year, after Luiz Gohara was injured, and Wisler suddenly was getting some consideration for the fifth-starter job during spring training, he gave up six hits and seven runs without recording an out in a March 23 relief appearance against the Tigers. He was optioned to Triple-A the next day.
But there he was Thursday, becoming the first Braves starter this season to work seven innings and only the second to have a walk-free outing. The last Braves starter to go at least seven innings with no walks was R.A. Dickey, who pitched eight walk-free innings against the Nationals on Sept. 21.
“Once I saw that Anibal went down yesterday, I was kind of wondering if I’d get the call,” Wisler said. “So we waited kind of anxious, and then after the game (Wednesday) I got the call. I honestly felt kind of like my debut. It’s been a long time since I started up here, so I had a lot of nerves and jitters going into today. But as the game went on, I got more and more comfortable again.”
