Ranger Suárez didn’t have a lead to work with when he threw his first pitch Friday night. But by the time he threw his 12th, he had all the run support he’d need and then some.
Kyle Schwarber made sure of that.
Schwarber crushed a three-run homer, his 22nd of the season, to cap a four-run second inning, and Suárez did the rest, tossing seven shutout innings as the Phillies rolled past the Blue Jays, 8-0, at Citizens Bank Park.
That’s now seven consecutive starts for Suárez since returning from a back injury, and just seven earned runs allowed over that entire stretch. Not bad for a guy who got roughed up for seven runs in his first outing of the year.
And that’s no small thing. Because let’s not forget, this is the same Suárez who opened last season 10-1 with a 1.75 ERA over his first 15 starts. And right now, he’s starting to look like that guy again.
Suárez (5-1) mixed command and deception through 94 pitches, striking out six and walking just one. The sellout crowd rose to its feet when he walked off the mound after the seventh — the kind of ovation you give a guy who’s quietly become one of the most reliable starters in the National League.
The lineup didn’t just lean on Schwarber, either.
Brandon Marsh ripped an RBI double off the wall in the second. Rookie Otto Kemp, who started at first base to allow Alec Bohm to slide back over to third, collected his first career extra-base hit in that same inning, then added an RBI single in the sixth. He’s quickly turning into a contributor in a lineup that’s been looking for depth.
The Phillies tacked on three more insurance runs in the eighth, but they could’ve stopped after one. That’s how good Suárez was.
Harper and Nola
Bryce Harper, out with right wrist inflammation, took groundballs at first base before the game, but still hasn’t resumed swinging or throwing. As for Aaron Nola, he’s shut down from throwing for at least two weeks while dealing with inflammation in his right ribcage. It's likely he'll be sidelined until the All-Star break.
