PHILADELPHIA – The Phillies’ bullpen left smudges all over Zack Wheeler’s gem.

That meant it was a bad Friday for Phillies faithful who have worshipped this team with an almost sacred devotion, which they relished expressing as the 2024 season dawned.

In what seemed hauntingly too much like last fall’s postseason collapse, the Phillies started great but fizzled at the finish in a 9-3 defeat.

Wheeler is a hard pitcher to hit for batters but an equally tough act to follow for relievers.

His six innings at sunny, wind-whipped Citizens Bank Park were the most by a Phillies opening-day starter since Roy Halladay 12 years ago. He allowed five harmless hits, walked nobody and struck out five while demonstrating, once again, why the Phillies have invested so much in him and recently extended his contract.

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When the sellout gathering of 44,452 rose to watch Brandon Marsh’s two-run fifth-inning homer sail into the left-field seats and roared at the sight, the foundation seemed in place for the vaunted Braves to be vanquished once again, as they have been by the Phillies in the last two National League Division Series.

But this is the regular season.

The perennial NL East champs, who finished 14 games ahead of the Phillies last year, once again demonstrated their firepower against a Phillies bullpen that appeared stunningly hapless. The Braves also exhibited relief-pitching superiority – two hits, one run allowed in four innings after ace Spender Strider – that could certainly key another successful title run.

If the Phillies, even periodically, pitch the way they did Friday, it will be neither a fun season nor one that extends to the playoffs.

Certainly, one late-March game does not a season make, especially one with 162 chapters. Jose Alvarado, one of three Phillies relievers battered by the Braves, said as much afterward.

“Today is over,” he said. “Get ready for tomorrow.”

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But Saturday – and many future tomorrows – does involve having to cope again with Atlanta in a 4:05 p.m. game.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson correctly exhibited not an ounce of concern in the wake of Friday’s debacle.

“Really, it was very uncharacteristic of the entire bullpen that last three innings,” he said. “A lot of walks. Just didn’t seem to have a feel for throwing strikes.”

Wheeler threw 89 pitches in the first game of the season, so he gave the Phillies perhaps even more than expected.

The only good thing about Friday for Matt Strahm, Alvarado and Connor Brogdon is their earned-run averages may never be higher this season.

Strahm gave up three hits and two runs in just one-third of an inning. Alvardo allowed three hits, walked two and was charged with five runs in his two-thirds.

Brogdon threw a run-scoring wild pitch on his first delivery – an ominous start – and ended up walking two and giving up a hit in his forgettable one-third of an inning.

“Strahm threw the ball extremely well in spring training,” Thomson said. “Got left-handers out. Got right-handers out."

If one reliever has a bad game, OK, it happens. Three of them having a combined horrible 1⅓ innings spelled disaster Friday.

“They’ll be better,” Thomson said. “I’m not concerned about that.”

Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Wheeler starts strong but Phillies bullpen struggles in loss to Braves