It wasn’t Citizens Bank Park. It wasn’t a packed house. But it was still Ranger Suárez on a mound, Bryson Stott at the plate, and the Phillies doing what they’ve done more often than not this season — finding a way to win.
Stott launched a three-run homer to cap a four-run fourth inning, Suárez delivered seven innings of smooth efficiency, and the Phillies slipped past the Marlins, 4-2, on Wednesday night at loanDepot Park.
For Suárez, it was another chapter in a season that started with injury concerns and has since turned into something resembling dominance. The left-hander allowed just one run on four hits while striking out eight and walking two — improving to 6-1 and lowering his ERA to a shade under 2.00 since his rocky return outing on May 4.
The game turned in the fourth. J.T. Realmuto opened the scoring with an RBI single before Stott ambushed a first-pitch fastball from Adam Mazur — a 94-mph heater that didn’t stick around long. It landed deep beyond the center-field wall, giving Stott his fifth homer of the year and giving the Phillies all the runs they’d need.
Mazur, making his major-league debut after a call-up from Triple-A Jacksonville, showed flashes of promise. But the Phillies made their damage count. He allowed five hits and four runs over 5 2/3 innings, striking out five and walking two.
Alec Bohm continued his scorching stretch with three more hits — two singles and a double — giving him six multi-hit games in his last nine. Nick Castellanos, benched the night before for what the club termed “an inappropriate comment” after being subbed out defensively, returned with a double, a single, and one big-time catch.
That catch came in the ninth, with the tying run at the plate and Nick Fortes sending a deep fly to right. Castellanos tracked it, drifted toward the fence, and made the game-ending grab. It was, somehow, poetic.
The Marlins made it interesting. Dane Myers’ RBI single cut the deficit to 4-2 with one out in the ninth, and they got the tying run into scoring position. But Matt Strahm struck out Connor Norby and watched Castellanos make the final play with the tying run on base for his fourth save of the season.
The Phillies will go for the series win on Thursday.
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