CINCINNATI — Ranger Suárez started strong for the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night, retiring the first six Cincinnati Reds batters with just 12 pitches, nearly all of them strikes. However, after those two innings, Suárez struggled and lasted only 5 1/3 innings in total. He allowed six runs on a season-high 10 hits as the Phillies lost to the Reds 6-1 at Great American Ball Park.
This performance continues a difficult stretch for Suárez. Over his last two starts, he has given up 11 runs and 19 hits across 11 2/3 innings. After recording a 2.15 ERA in the first half of the season, his ERA since the All-Star break has risen to 6.59 over five starts.
Manager Rob Thomson addressed questions about Suárez’s condition following the game: “He says he’s fine,” Thomson said.
Thomson added that fatigue could be a factor but did not report any specific complaints from Suárez: “Other than fatigue, I don’t think so,” Thomson said. “Because he hasn’t complained of anything. That’s the only thing I can really attribute it to.”
Suárez disagreed with suggestions that physical issues were behind his recent struggles: “No, I wouldn’t say it’s fatigue,” he said via a team interpreter. “I feel good actually. I know I’ve had a couple rough starts and everyone is wondering if it could be fatigue, but it’s not.”
Last season around this time, Suárez missed about a month due to lower back soreness and also missed this season’s opening month because of lower back stiffness. He previously mentioned feeling less than fully healthy during his June start in Atlanta due to shoulder and back discomfort but now says he feels better: “I feel good. I feel way better,” Suárez said. “Atlanta was one of those days where you’re like, ‘Oh, this is what I have [today].’ Afterwards, and the starts since that one, I’ve felt way better.”
The Phillies are considering options for giving Suárez additional rest as they look for solutions to improve his performance in the second half of seasons—a pattern seen last year when he went from being an NL Cy Young frontrunner with a record-setting start (10-1 with a 1.75 ERA through his first 15 outings) to finishing with just two wins in his final twelve games and an ERA above six.
One option may come soon as Aaron Nola prepares to return from Triple-A Lehigh Valley after striking out eleven batters over nearly six innings on Tuesday night; Nola is expected back in Philadelphia’s rotation Sunday.
“We’ll see, we’ll see,” Thomson said regarding possible changes such as moving to a six-man rotation or skipping one of Suárez’s turns entirely before referencing Nola’s progress: “Nola had a good night tonight, so we’ll see how he feels tomorrow… Maybe we go to a six-man or bump [Suárez for a start] or something.”
Another notable trend is that Suárez’s sinker velocity has dipped below 90 mph in seven of his past eight starts—after averaging above that mark early in the year—which began with his outing against Atlanta.
“I felt good,” Suárez reiterated after facing Cincinnati. “I felt better than last time out. Overall, I felt better.” Despite these comments, frustration was evident during Tuesday’s game as he reacted visibly to borderline calls by umpires and later discussed feeling mentally blocked on the mound: “I think I [was] just mentally blocked at that point and stopped trying to execute those pitches,” Suárez said. “I was just throwing the ball.”
Manager Rob Thomson commented on this unusual display from typically calm Suárez: “I think because of his last few outings, he wants to do well, and maybe he’s just off a little bit,” Thomson said. “He’s got to shut that down.”
The team expects that some extra rest may help him regain form.
