Philadelphia knows the difference between a pitcher fighting and a pitcher flailing. For months, Ranger Suárez fought his way into the All-Star conversation. But with Zack Wheeler sidelined indefinitely by a blood clot and Aaron Nola getting rocked in his first game back from the injured list, Suárez suddenly represents something more than just a mid-August start. He’s the guy this rotation desperately needs to stabilize it.
The problem? Lately, Suárez has looked more like a question mark than an answer. Eleven runs and 19 hits allowed in 11 2/3 innings over his last two starts. Two straight Phillies losses by a combined 11-2 score. And even a few testy exchanges with umpires in Cincinnati that had manager Rob Thomson shaking his head afterward.
That’s not the Ranger Suárez who looked unhittable in May and June. That’s not the Ranger who, the last time he saw Seattle in 2022, spun six shutout innings in a 9-0 win. That’s the Ranger the Phillies need to show up Monday night at Citizens Bank Park.
And they need him because the past week was anything but reassuring. In Washington, the Phillies blew a six-run lead on Sunday before clawing back for an 11-9 win to salvage a split. Nola’s rocky return forced the bullpen to absorb innings, and without Weston Wilson and Nick Castellanos delivering clutch hits, the series might’ve ended in disaster.
There were bright spots — Alec Bohm returned from a rib injury and promptly homered, instantly lengthening a lineup that missed him. But this isn’t about one swing or one series. It’s about re-establishing a rotation rhythm that has suddenly gone missing.
Seattle, meanwhile, arrives having dropped four of five, capped by a 7-3 loss to the Mets in Sunday’s Little League Classic. George Kirby got knocked around, Cal Raleigh hit his league-leading 47th homer, and the Mariners looked more tired than dangerous.
So here we are: Suárez (8-6, 3.28 ERA) against Logan Gilbert (3-4, 3.31 ERA). A lefty searching for the groove that once made him the Phillies’ most reliable starter. A team searching for calm in the chaos of late August.
And the truth is, they don’t need him to be perfect. They don’t need him to be Wheeler. They just need Ranger Suárez to steady the ship again.
Pitching Matchup
Monday: RHP Logan Gilbert (3-4, 3.31) vs. LHP Ranger Suarez (8-6, 3.28)
Tuesday: TBD vs. LHP Cristopher Sanchez (11-4, 2.45)
Wednesday: RHP Luis Castillo (8-6, 3.48) vs. LHP Jesus Luzardo (11-6, 4.21)
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