NLCS: Zack Wheeler and Phillies Beat Padres in Game 1

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SAN DIEGO — Zack Wheeler dazzled. Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper blasted.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

The beat, and beatings, go on for Philadelphia, following the same pattern. The Phillies delivered a 2-0 opening win over San Diego in the National League Championship Series on a warm Southern California evening Tuesday.

There were three hot spots in particular: The bats of Schwarber and Harper on two particular swings in the fourth and sixth innings, and the catcher’s glove as J.T. Realmuto was on the business end of a nice mix of mid-90s fastballs and low-80s curveballs as Wheeler’s dominating postseason continued.

Pitching and thunder have carried Philadelphia through the playoffs so far, and the Phillies appear to be happy to ride it deep into the fall.

Schwarber absolutely annihilated a Yu Darvish cutter that didn’t cut to start the sixth inning, blasting it 488 feet until it disappeared into the second row of the second deck in right field. It was the longest home run ever recorded at Petco Park, which opened in 2004. That extended the Phillies’ lead to 2-0 and, with Wheeler throwing mysteries without any clues to Padres hitters for seven innings, that was enough.

It was nothing new in San Diego, even though it was the Padres’ first N.L.C.S. game since 1998. Wheeler came into the day with an 18⅔ -innings scoreless streak against the Padres and, over seven regular season career starts, had a 2.06 E.R.A. against them.

Wheeler was every bit as dominant Tuesday. He held the Padres hitless through four innings. Not until Wil Myers stroked a single up the middle with one out in the fifth did the Padres find the hit column, and Myers was the first base runner allowed by Wheeler after Juan Soto’s first-inning walk. He also was the last. Wheeler threw seven one-hit innings, striking out three and limiting traffic as if all roads were closed.

The Padres battled Wheeler through a 24-pitch first inning, but he sailed through the next two, needing only 13 pitches to obtain the six outs.

San Diego did manage two base runners in the bottom of the ninth inning, thanks to a walk to Jurickson Profar and Juan Soto reaching base on a botched fielder’s choice, but it was not enough to bring a run around, as Josh Bell struck out to end it.

Harper had given Wheeler all the breathing room he would need in the fourth inning by pounding a 1-0 fastball the opposite way over the left field fence. It seemed like a key moment for Harper because the last time before Tuesday he was in the Petco Park batter’s box, on June 25, Padres starter Blake Snell drilled him with a pitch and broke his thumb. Harper was sidelined for two months.

“I think anytime you get hit or break a bone or anything like that, those doubts creep into your mind of you might not come back this year or what’s going to happen, how the team is going to react,” Harper said before Game 1.

The Phillies clearly reacted well over the course of the season, and Harper is their hottest bat. He is 11 for 26 with four homers and three doubles this postseason.

Wheeler and Aaron Nola have combined to cover 52 percent (32 of 62) of Philadelphia’s postseason innings. And it is Nola who will start Game 2 on Wednesday afternoon. The novelty there will be that he will face his brother, San Diego catcher Austin Nola — just as he did in a regular-season game — which surely will put their parents in an emotional and awkward position.

Another Game 2 twist will be Snell starting for the Padres and facing Harper. The Phillies slugger, both in pain and anger, screamed at Snell after the pitch that broke his thumb in June but the two spoke shortly afterward to smooth things over. Harper knew Snell was not throwing at him but, rather, attempting to work inside.

“I’m going to pitch him the same way,” Snell said Tuesday. “I never had any intent to hit him. Still don’t. It’s pitching. I’m going to pitch how I pitch. If I hit him, I’m sorry. I’m not trying. You’re a really good hitter. I’ve got to throw the ball in. I’ve got to throw it away, mix it up. I’m going to continue to pitch like I pitch. Nothing is changing.”