Ranger Suarez Game 4 NLDS

The Philadelphia Phillies will turn to Ranger Suarez to save the 2024 MLB season

Ranger Suarez. For All Things Holy.

The Philadelphia Phillies are in trouble after losing in embarrassing fashion to the New York Mets last night in Game 3 of the NLDS in Queens, New York.

Now facing elimination down 2-1 in the five game series against the Mets, the Phillies will turn to none other than Ranger Suarez to force a Game 5 back in South Philly on Friday night.

Needless to say, the confidence level amongst fans isn’t exactly high, and for legitimate reasons.

Ranger Suarez can save the Philadelphia Phillies

Ranger Suarez, to put it nicely, hasn’t exactly been lights-out lately. In fact, Suarez struggled for the entire second half of the MLB regular season.

In his last 11 regular season starts, Ranger Suarez has posted an ugly 6.54 ERA, and opponents teed off on him, batting .315 with an .885 OPS. He managed to go six innings just once during that stretch and dealt with back issues that landed him on the injured list.

Not exactly the type of stats that scream “savior” right? At the same time, October is different and the Phillies with really no other options, are handing the ball to Ranger Suarez with their season on the line tonight in Queens.

Down 2-1 in the best-of-five series after a 7-2 loss to the Mets in Game 3, the Phillies have no margin for error. They need to win Wednesday to force a decisive Game 5 back at Citizens Bank Park on Friday.

On the surface, this might seem like a long shot, especially considering Ranger Suarez’s recent form and the fact that he’s facing a red-hot Mets team, led by lefty José Quintana, who has unfortunately been on fire.

Quintana finished the regular season with a 0.74 ERA in his last six starts and tossed six scoreless innings against the Brewers in the Wild Card Series.

Still, I’m not ready to throw in the towel.

Suarez has proved time and time again that he’s no ordinary pitcher, even more so in October. This is a guy who was 10-1 with a 1.75 ERA before his season took a nosedive.

He was an All-Star and seemed to be on the verge of becoming one of the top pitchers in the National League and a Cy Young candidate. And let’s not forget his stellar postseason track record—3-1 with a 1.62 ERA in nine career playoff appearances.

Ranger Suarez Postseason Stats:
33.1 IP | 22 H | 6 ER | 8 BB | 32 K | 1.62 ERA | 0.90 WHIP

When asked about his confidence level in Ranger Suarez despite his struggles, Phillies manager Rob Thomson pointed to a scrimmage Ranger pitched at Citizens Bank Park last week.

“He was really good for two innings,” Thomson said. “I know it’s just an intrasquad game, but the velocity was back up, and the command was really good. I haven’t seen that kind of command since he came back from the injury. His calmness helps, too—that gives me confidence.” [YS]

Trust me, I get it. Believing that a couple of sharp innings in a practice game can outweigh weeks of inconsistency might seem like wishful thinking. But with the season on the line, the Phillies don’t have any other options for tonight.

Fans want to bring back Zack Wheeler back on short rest but of course, that really isn’t realistic, and it would also take him out of a potential Game 5 on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park.

So, we now put our faith in Ranger Suarez and it’s about turning the page on his late-season struggles and focusing on the present.

“What happens in September stays in September. It’s time to turn the page. I forgot about it. We’re in October now, so it’s a different atmosphere, a different vibe. I feel good physically and that’s what I’m thinking about now.”

According to reports, Ranger Suarez has been working on some mechanical adjustments, specifically with his leg placement, which he says has given his pitches more life.

“That’s helped me a lot, especially with having a little more life behind my ball,” Suárez said. “I think working on that is going to help me build strength and stamina throughout the game.”

It’s do-or-die time for the Phillies, and while Suárez’s recent numbers don’t inspire much confidence, his track record in big moments suggests there’s a reason to believe. The season is on the line, and Suarez has one more chance to show he’s still the guy the Phillies can count on.

Join The Chase

unfiltered, opinionated, and certainly do not care if you like it or not.

TwitterFacebookInstagram

Read More

Comments (0)

Leave a Reply

Back To Top

Discover more from The Liberty Line

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading