The postseason complete game.

For quite some time, it’s been the game’s lost art.

After watching the Phillies’ bullpen collapse Saturday night, I’m sure many of you wondered whether the Phils should have let Zack Wheeler continue his masterful seven-inning performance.

You can thank today’s analytic game for that.

Wheeler threw 111 pitches, and apparently could have faced a few more batters. Yet, this one also has to be hung on the Phillies’ offense, which managed just two hits. After Saturday, the Phils had scored five runs in their last three playoff games at the Bank.

Wheeler also only has four complete games in his 10-year career, three with the Phillies.

It was another classic Phillies-Mets matchup, but the first in the postseason. This current series should prove to be a good one.

In this week’s version of my Behind the Plate column, I’ll look at some Phillies’ complete games in the postseason and in the game overall, as well as some Phillies-Mets meetings throughout the years.

Big Wheels ... Wheeler struck out nine and walked four in his seven-inning stint Saturday, and had 30 swings and misses. His 111 pitches were the most since Roy Halladay threw 126 over eight innings in a heartfelt 1-0 loss to the Cardinals in Game Five of the 2011 playoffs.

Overall in the postseason, Wheeler is 4-3 with a 2.18 ERA and 77 strikeouts in 70 innings.

In The Year 2010 ... It has been 14 years since a Phillies’ pitcher threw a complete game in the postseason, and it was a momentous series.

In his first postseason appearance, Halladay tossed a no-hitter against the Reds, beating them 4-0 in a 95-pitch, eight-strikeout performance.

Four days later, Cole Hamels followed it with a five-hitter in a 2-0 victory that sent the Phils into the NLCS against the Giants. Hamels recorded nine strikeouts in his 119-pitch performance.

They were the last Phillies’ complete games in the postseason.

Phil-Ups ... Aside from Halladay and Hamels, Cliff Lee hurled a pair of complete games, both in the 2009 postseason. Lee allowed six hits with five strikeouts against the Rockies, and later recorded 10 strikeouts and issued six hits against the Yankees.

Think back to 1993 when Curt Schilling had a five-hit, six-strikeout shutout over Toronto in the World Series. A decade earlier, Charles Hudson had a four-hit, nine-strikeout showing against the Dodgers in the playoffs.

Going back a bit further, Steve Carlton threw 127 pitches and had eight strikeouts in a 9-4 victory over the Dodgers in the 1978 playoffs.

Bigger Picture ... As far as famous postseason games, there’s always Don Larsen’s perfect game for the Yankees in the 1956 World Series, and former Phillies’ pitching coach Johnny Podres tossed a pair of complete games in the 1955 World Series including a shutout in Game Seven that gave the Dodgers their first championship.

But how good was Bob Gibson? In nine postseason starts, Gibson hurled eight complete games — one a 10-inning one — and reached double-digit strikeouts, averaging nine per game, in five of them. He was 7-2 with a 1.89 ERA in the postseason.

Along with Gibson’s eight complete games, there is Whitey Ford with seven, Dave McNally and Jim Palmer with six, and Schilling, Catfish Hunter, Mike Cuellar and Sandy Koufax each with four. McNally, Palmer and Cuellar were all part of the outstanding Orioles’ staff in the mid-60s to early 70s.

Phillies-Mets Files ... Over the years, there have been plenty of memorable showdowns between the two.

Here is a small sampling:

Oct. 2, 1965, a scoreless (0-0) 18-inning tie: This is still one of the game’s anomalies, and it didn’t really exist. The Phillies’ Chris Short and the Mets’ Rod Gardner miraculously each threw 15 innings. There was a New York City tie that stopped play at 1 a.m. in this second game of a doubleheader.

League rules prohibited the game to be continued, and it had to be played over in its entirety the following day.

June 11, 1985: Phillies 26, Mets 7; The Phillies were scuffling, and the Mets were contending at the time. Philly led 16-0 after two innings, and leadoff hitter Von Hayes went three for six with a two-run homer and a grand slam along with six RBIs. It was the team’s most runs scored.

Sept. 29-30, 1987: Phillies 3, Mets 0, Phillies 4, Mets 3; The Mets were looking to get back to the postseason, and the Phillies were looking to play the role of spoiler. And the Phillies did it in consecutive days.

Don Carman fired a one-hitter in a 3-0 victory at the Vet Sept. 29, and Luis Aguayo hit a walkoff homer in the 10th inning that gave them a 4-3 victory a day later. The Mets entered the two games two games out of first place with a weekend series against first-place St. Louis ahead.

And, of course, there was Jim Bunning’s perfect game against the Mets on Father’s Day in 1964.

Readers Write

Phillies-Mets

The Phillies are the No. 2 seed in the National League and deserved it. They had a hot spring and summer until the All-Star Game when they had a 62-34 record. Since then, they have been plagued with some injuries that have affected their play.

On the other hand, the Mets are red hot! They beat the Braves to end the season and then snuck into the playoffs. After that, they battled through a tough Brewers’ team.

Being a Phillies’ fan, I am hoping the time off and the bye helped heal their injuries, and they are ready to beat the Mets, as they fight for another World Series title. However, these Mets might be thinking differently.

We will see.

Jim Bechtel

Pen Argyl

From the Phillies-Mets to Dean Ho

Hi Jeff!

I’m not that knowledgeable about football, just baseball, music and the old days of pro wrestling.

Now for the Phillies-Mets.

The Phillies are a better team on paper. They also have postseason experience. I also have some heart break, starting with 1964. Then, the playoffs against the Dodgers in 1977.

Where was Jerry Martin? If we had the call challenge back then, the LA runner would have been called out at first base. Remember when Bob Boone dropped the ball in Game Six in 1980, but Pete Rose caught it? I thought here we go again. Don’t forget 1993 with Mitch Williams and Joe Carter. They came up short in the World Series in 2022. Then, who can forget Games Six and Seven against the D-backs in 2023?

BUT they have the home field advantage, Zack Wheeler pitching in Game 1 and Sanchez pitching in Game 2. His record at CBP is unbelievable! Then, I hope Nola has his stuff.

Let’s just hope Ranger Suarez can give some quality innings. Let’s also hope the Phils get off to a good start and they get the breaks. Then, maybe we can eventually watch the victory parade!

Speaking of pro wrestling, do you remember Dean Ho? That was his wrestling name. I was in his company a few times, and somehow, he started dating my cousin!

I would run into him when he was at her house. She lived in Allentown, and I was surprised that he smoked. It was a pipe.

Richard Ochs

Palmerton

Editor’s Note: Great stuff, Richard, and I like the Dean Ho reference.

Hi Jeff, again!

Game 1 - starting pitching - OK; relief pitching - To put it bluntly, it (stunk); offense - What offense?

Game 2 - starting pitching - OK; relief pitching - see Game 1; offense - Now those are the Phillies we know and love!

This was like game 7 of the World Series. It’s a good thing that I took my blood pressure meds today.

Now, if they can only carry the momentum into game 3 in NY. I know there will be a lot of Phillies supporters there.

Then, we can wrap it up at CBP.

Richard Ochs

Palmerton

Your thoughts are always welcomed at tnsports@tnonline.com.