PHILADELPHIA — The Phillies followed a triumphant 19-4 win with a demoralizing 5-4 loss on Sunday afternoon. Ranger Suárez didn’t look like himself, but more glaring was the offense. After a 19-run win the day before, the Phillies went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position on Sunday and hit into three double plays.
The first inning looked like vintage Suárez. He induced a groundout and two strikeouts on 13 pitches. He made it look easy. But from there, Suárez labored. He allowed two hits in next inning, and loaded the bases in his inning after that after allowing a single to Derek Hill and back-to-back walks.
Stone Garrett hit a grand slam home run with two outs in the next at-bat. It was a surprising outcome, given how Suárez has pitched of late. He allowed only four earned runs in the month of June. After his outing on Sunday afternoon, he’d already allowed more runs in the month of July.
Out of fairness to Suárez, Garrett shouldn’t have been at the plate in the third inning to begin with. If Brandon Marsh had caught the catchable ball that Hill hit to center field for a single, with one out, the inning would’ve ended with Lane Thomas’ strikeout in the next at-bat. But instead, it ended with a 4-3 Nationals lead.
Suárez bounced back in the fourth, retiring the three batters he faced on two lineouts and a pop out. But he ran into more trouble in the fifth inning, allowing another home run, this time a solo shot to Jeimer Candelario. Sunday marked the first time Suárez has given up multiple home runs in start since Oct. 4, 2022.
He retired Joey Meneses and Garrett on a strikeout and a flyout, and began the sixth inning. He struck out Dominic Smith to start the inning, but allowed another walk and a single to put runners on first and second. The game went into a rain delay and by the time it was over, Yunior Marté was on the mound in relief of Suarez. He induced a double play to end the inning.
Suárez allowed seven hits, five runs — all earned — and three walks with five strikeouts and two home runs over 5 1/3 innings pitched. His walks tied for the most he’s allowed in a start all season. His velocity was slightly down on all five of his pitches. The hardest pitch he threw on Sunday was a 94 mph fastball.
It’s unclear why Suárez struggled to the extent that he did, but luckily for the Phillies, the bats came out — at least initially. After knocking in 19 runs on Saturday, they set they a strong tone on Sunday. Nick Castellanos hit a solo home run to left center field in the first inning to give the Phillies a quick 1-0 lead. Bryce Harper singled after that, and J.T. Realmuto homered in the next at-bat to give the Phillies a 3-0 lead.
That lead was short-lived. After Garrett and Candelario’s home runs, the Phillies squandered their opportunities by grounding into three double plays in the next three innings. In the sixth, Bryson Stott doubled and Alec Bohm walked to put runners on first and second with no outs, but Darick Hall grounded into a double play and Marsh struck out to end the inning.
In the seventh, Kyle Schwarber hit a double, Trea Turner struck out, and Castellanos doubled to drive home Schwarber. Harper walked to put runners on first and second. But Realmuto grounded into a double play to end the inning. And in eighth, Stott walked to get on base, Bohm lined out, Hall singled and Marsh grounded into the Phillies’ third double play of the afternoon.
Craig Kimbrel pitched a 1-2-3 inning in the ninth to keep the game within reach. Schwarber, Turner and Castellanos were retired in order in the bottom half of the inning to end the game.
