LOS ANGELES _ To hear Mickey Callaway tell it, Zack Wheeler's success this season is a vicious cycle of effectiveness, confidence and hard work, each feeding off the other, combining for a breakout year for the onetime top prospect whose career was slowed by injuries.
An early-season mechanical tweak led to Wheeler pitching better as well as helping him stay healthy. The health allowed him to stick to a between-starts routine, which further helped his on-field production. The success bred confidence, the confidence more desire to work, the work more success and so on.
The result: Wheeler is pitching better _ and perhaps just as notably, pitching deeper _ than ever before, including Wednesday in a 7-3 win over the Dodgers.
Wheeler lasted seven innings, the eighth time in 10 starts he has gone at least that long. He gave up three runs, the first time since the All-Star break any opponent has scored more than twice against him. He struck out nine and walked two, and with a 3.39 ERA, Wheeler is in a down-the-stretch duel with Noah Syndergaard (3.33) for second-best in the Mets' rotation behind Jacob deGrom (1.68).
At 167 1/3 innings, Wheeler is at nearly double his total from 2015-17. He should pass his career-high mark of 183 2/3, set in 2014. And yet the Mets are ready to let Wheeler roll right through the end of the season.
"We'll continue to monitor him with everything that we can and make sure he's in a really good spot, which he is right now," Callaway said. "The expectation is right now at this point that he's going to continue pitching every fifth or sixth day."
The Dodgers didn't reach Wheeler for a hit until the fourth, but when they did, it was a hit in more ways than one. With two outs, Justin Turner sent a line drive right back up the middle. Wheeler tried to get his glove up to protect himself, but it caught him flush, seemingly in the chest/side area, ricocheting for a single. Callaway and an athletic trainer visited the mound, but a couple of warmup pitches were enough for Wheeler to convince them he was fine.
Three pitches later, Max Muncy hammered a splitter that didn't split 443 feet to right-center. Los Angeles' only other run also came on a homer, Cody Bellinger's solo shot to right in the seventh.
The Mets backed Wheeler up with a well-rounded offensive effort, including multiple hits from six players. Amed Rosario went 3-for-5 _ and almost had a fourth hit, but his first-inning infield single was overturned a replay review.
Catcher Kevin Plawecki left the game early after taking a Pat Venditte sinker off the ribs in the eighth. He initially stayed in, but in the bottom of the frame, Tomas Nido replaced him behind the plate.
The Mets finished 5-4 on their road trip through Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
