Ranger Suarez allows 5 runs in 5 innings in loss to Braves
David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
After taking Game 1 of the pivotal three-game series in Atlanta, the Phillies did not get the job done on the offensive nor starting pitching aspect of the game on Saturday night.
The offensive woes are expected. They are operating without Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and J.T. Realmuto. But they mustered just one run on seven hits against Spencer Schwellenbach, who entered with a 5.68 ERA and did nothing against the bullpen.
However, it is the starting pitching that opens eyes wider in the 5-1 loss to the Braves.
In Ranger Suarez‘s first 16 starts, he allowed 20 earned runs in 98 1/3 innings with a 1.83 ERA. In his last two, he has allowed nine earned runs in 5 2/3 innings posting a 14.29 ERA, according to Todd Zolecki on MLB.com. He has gone from an All-Star and Cy Young candidate to perhaps the opposite.
The struggles were apparent on Saturday. He allowed a lot of hard contact in the first inning, including a leadoff double to Jarred Kelenic, an RBI single by Ozzie Albies, and a two-run homer to Marcell Ozuna into the pond in dead center.
After the rough first, he retired six straight hitters between the second and third innings, before running into more trouble in the fourth. He had allowed back-to-back base hits and had runners on second and third before he got two strikeouts to reignite himself. The Phillies then decided to intentionally walk Orlando Arcia. The last time the Phils intentionally walked a batter before the eighth inning in the last two seasons was Shohei Ohtani, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Eli White came up, and Suarez got out of the jam.
And then, welp, Albies hit a two-run home run deep to left in the next inning, the fifth.
Suarez in five innings allowed six hits, five earned runs, two walks, and two homers while striking out seven on 91 pitches. His ERA is now up to 2.58. This is the first time in Suarez’s career he has allowed five-plus runs in consecutive appearances, per Zolecki.
It is time the Phillies start to monitor Suarez’s innings. This is the first season where he had a full spring training and is pitching the most amount of innings in his career. And he is showing obvious signs of fatigue. The Phils need to be careful.
The Phillies look to win the series with young Michael Mercado on the mound Sunday afternoon.
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