Twelve days ago, Ranger Suárez looked like a pitcher with questions swirling around him. Ten hits and six runs against the Reds had only deepened the narrative that his second half wasn’t measuring up to the brilliance he’d shown earlier in the year. It was fair to wonder if the shine had worn off. But baseball has a way of turning doubts into headlines, and on Sunday afternoon in Philly, Suárez didn’t just answer those questions — he obliterated them.
For seven innings, he was the very definition of untouchable. Eleven strikeouts, a career high. Three hits. No walks. Ninety pitches, 16 of them generating empty swings. And the way he carved up Nationals hitters was a masterclass in variety: four different pitch types for his first four strikeouts, and by the end he’d piled them up with everything in his bag — four-seamers, cutters, sliders, curveballs, a sinker, even a changeup. It was the second straight start with double-digit punchouts after fanning 10 Mariners earlier in the week, something he had never done before in his career.
The Phillies didn’t need much offense behind him, and Rafael Marchan made sure they got exactly what they needed. The backup catcher, starting on a Sunday and batting ninth, provided all three runs. He laced a two-out, two-run double in the second inning, then battled through an eight-pitch at-bat in the third before drawing a bases-loaded walk that pushed the lead to three. His day ended with three RBIs.
Jake Irvin, meanwhile, barely survived the assignment. Six hits and three runs later, the Nationals’ starter was gone before the end of the third inning — the shortest outing of his Major League career. By then, Marchan had broken the game open, and Suárez had long since seized control.
But the Phillies rarely win clean, and the eighth inning proved as much. José Alvarado loaded the bases with no outs on a single and two walks, and suddenly the afternoon teetered on disaster. That’s when Tanner Banks, one of the most quietly reliable arms in the bullpen, stepped in. He induced the groundball he needed, turned a double play, and limited the damage to a single run. The lead shrank, but the inning ended with the Phillies still in front.
The ninth was handed to Orion Kerkering, and it wasn’t spotless. Luis García Jr. came off the bench and belted a pinch-hit homer to slice the lead to one. But Kerkering regrouped, got the final two outs, and recorded his fourth save. Marchan’s third RBI stood up as the difference, and Suárez’s masterpiece became the story of the day.
The Phillies left Washington with a 3–2 victory, an 8–5 edge in the season series against the Nationals, and their sixth win in the last seven games. They now sit 22 games over .500. And when word filtered in that the Mets had fallen to the Braves, the math looked even better: the Phillies head into a three-game set at Citi Field with a seven-game lead in the National League East.
This was more than just a Sunday win. It was a reminder that Suárez, questioned not long ago, has rediscovered the form that made him the quiet ace of the summer. Twelve days ago, he was a concern. Today, he’s an exclamation point. And as the Phillies roll into New York, it’s hard to miss the message: they’re not just winning — they’re answering every question in sight.
Loading Phillies schedule...
Loading NL East standings...
Support the Mission. Fuel the Movement.
You’re not just funding journalism — you’re backing the future of youth baseball in Philly.
👉 Join us on Patreon »