Suárez keeps racking up strikeouts, career-high leads to series win over Nationals
There were valid questions to be asked about Ranger Suárez, both long- and short-term, 12 days ago, after a 10-hit, six-run outing against the Reds continued a long second-half trend for the Phillies’ even-keeled southpaw.
Suárez has answered them since. And the way he’s done it has not been particularly fluky.
After tying a career-high with 10 strikeouts on Monday, Suárez one-upped himself on Sunday, punching out 11 Nationals over seven shutout innings to lead the Phillies in the rubber match.
The three-hit, no-walk outing was, by sheer line, his best start of the season, which saw nine straight gems from late May to early July. He generated 16 whiffs on 90 pitches, a number he reached despite throwing 18 in the first inning.
And his battery-mate was responsible for all the run support. Rafael Marchan came through with a two-out, two-run double in the second. He then worked a two-out, bases-loaded, eight-pitch walk the following inning to put the Phillies up three.
Suárez’s first four strikeouts came on four different pitch types, which was a theme for the day: He punched out Nationals hitters with his entire arsenal. Three strikeouts came on four-seamers, two on cutters, two on sliders, two on curveballs, and one on a sinker and changeup each.
José Alvarado got himself into trouble in the eighth, loading the bases with no outs on a single and two walks. But Tanner Banks, who has been pleasantly surprisingly reliable all season long, got out of it with just one run, thanks to a double play.
Orion Kerkering allowed a solo homer in the ninth, but Marchan’s third RBI was the difference. The Phillies wrap the season series against the Nationals with an 8-5 advantage.
They move to 22 games over .500 overall and, with the Mets’ loss to the Braves, will enter their three-game series this week with New York seven games up in the NL East.