Ranger Suárez struggles in final regular season start, Phillies drop series opener to Nationals

WASHINGTON — Just over a week out from the National League Division Series, manager Rob Thomson wasn’t planning to push his starting pitchers during the Phillies’ final regular season series against the Nationals. Even so, Ranger Suárez still had something to prove when he took the mound on Friday night.

But when he left the game just two innings into the 9-1 Phillies loss, it felt like the left-hander had taken a step backward.

A torrid start to the season had Suárez in the early Cy Young Award conversation, but he hasn’t been himself since mid-July. Suárez appeared to be turning a corner with an improved performance last week against the Mets, and the Phillies thought that they had addressed what was causing his dip in velocity and lowered command. His final start of the regular season was an opportunity for him to show he was regaining his All-Star form with the postseason right around the corner.

But instead, the same problems were back in full force on Friday, which marked his shortest outing since May 19, 2023. Suárez’s sinker averaged 90.2 mph, 0.6 mph slower than normal, and Washington hit it hard. Across the nine times the Nationals made contact with the pitch — including foul balls — the average exit velocity was 101 mph.

Suárez said postgame that he felt fine physically.

“My breaking ball was just not breaking at all,” he said through a team interpreter. “It wasn’t moving. And my location was a little bit off today. So obviously, I think I didn’t use my body in the right way today. Sometimes you try to make adjustments during the game. Today, that didn’t happen, but that’s just the way it is sometimes. Tomorrow, I’ll get back to it and get back to my adjustments again.”

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Suárez allowed a leadoff double to Dylan Crews in the first inning, and from there, the Nationals continued to knock him around. Juan Yepez singled to score Crews, and then Suárez gave up a two-run home run to Stone Garrett. It was Garrett’s first at-bat in the majors since breaking his leg and tearing an ankle ligament 13 months ago, and he crushed a curveball Suárez left over the middle of the plate.

Suárez needed 42 pitches to get out of the first inning, and finished his abbreviated night allowing seven hits and six earned runs.

“The last couple outings I’ve been a little frustrated, but I think it’s just a part of the game,” Suárez said. “The game sometimes takes you to that state of mind where you feel frustrated, but it’s something I can work with, keeping a positive mentality.”

Thomson said despite his recent struggles, Suárez will be the Phillies’ Game 4 starter in the NLDS.

“Maybe he needs a little bit of time off, which he’ll get, and then pick it up with adrenaline in the playoffs,” Thomson said. “ … I always have confidence in him, because I think he’s very poised, and you know that slow heartbeat comes into play. I hope, and I think that the adrenaline of the playoffs, will pick it up.”

The Phillies’ bats were equally ineffective, collectively finishing with four hits and eight strikeouts. Austin Hays went 2-for-3 and prevented a shutout with a solo home run in the eighth inning, but he was the only Phillie to reach first base more than once. Nick Castellanos was subbed out in the fifth, Bryce Harper in the sixth, and Trea Turner in the seventh.

“It wasn’t vintage Philly baseball, that’s for sure,” Thomson said.

Meanwhile, the Nationals — who entered Friday having lost four straight including three shutouts — continued to run up the score on the Phillies’ bullpen. Tyler Gilbert took over in the third, and allowed a run on a pair of singles and a wild pitch. After José Alvarado and Matt Strahm each pitched a scoreless frame, José Ruiz gave up another run on three hits in the seventh.

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An unearned run scored on Tanner Banks in the eighth. Alec Bohm bobbled a ground ball that bounced to Edmundo Sosa, and Sosa then misfired on the throw, leading to two errors on the same play and the Nationals’ ninth run.

The Phillies’ pitching staff collectively allowed 16 hits.