Suárez aiming to steady ship in Game 3

PHILADELPHIA -- Ranger Suárez was one of the best starting pitchers in Major League Baseball for most of the season's second half.

After a two-week stint on the injured list due to back spasms at the start of July, Suárez returned to the rotation on July 16 and put up a 2.33 ERA over his next 13 starts through the end of September. That was the 10th-best ERA in the Majors during that span -- and the second best among anyone still pitching in the postseason, behind only San Diego's Blake Snell (2.25 ERA).

But then Suárez turned in his worst start of the year in his regular-season finale in Houston on Oct. 4. He was tagged for six runs on seven hits in only three innings and he served up three home runs -- his total from those previous 13 starts combined.

Those struggles followed him into Game 1 of the National League Division Series when he handed out a career-worst five walks over 3 1/3 innings, though he managed to limit the Braves to just one run.

So which Suárez will the Phillies get when he takes the mound for Game 3 of the NL Championship Series against the Padres on Friday night at Citizens Bank Park?

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"I thought he was really good coming down the stretch," Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. "The start against Atlanta was not Ranger-esque, but I think he was a little bit amped up because of the playoff game. I think he'll be better [Friday], especially in front of our own fans."

While Thomson is willing to write off Suárez's wavering command as an anomaly, it's worth noting that the 27-year-old reliever-turned-starter has already easily surpassed any previous workload at the professional level. He enters Friday's outing having pitched 158 2/3 innings in 2022, eclipsing his previous high of 139 1/3 in 2018 (124 1/3 innings in the Minors and 15 with Phillies).

Suárez logged just 86 2/3 innings in 2019 and four innings in ‘20, when the Minor League season was canceled due to COVID-19. He threw 106 innings last season when he began the year as a long reliever before moving to the closer role, and eventually, the starting rotation.

Still, Suárez hasn't shown any physical signs of wearing down. In his NLDS start against the Braves, Suárez's velocity was up slightly on each of his pitches compared to his regular-season numbers.

"I haven't really noticed anything with him that would say he's getting tired or he's got too many innings on him," Thomson said. "I think the crowd and just the adrenaline of the situation will get him through right now."

It also doesn't hurt that Suárez has received some extra rest of late. When he takes the mound against the Padres on Friday, it will have been 10 days since his disappointing start in Atlanta.

"I feel good. I feel pretty strong. I feel fresh," Suárez said. "All I want to do [Friday] is be better than my last time out and really help this team win."

Suárez has a tall task ahead of him in Game 3, not only because the series is knotted at a game apiece, but also because of what lies ahead for the rest of the NLCS.

Friday marks the first of a potential five games in five days to close out the series, plus the Phillies are expected to essentially throw a bullpen game in Saturday’s Game 4. Thus, an abbreviated start from Suárez could derail Philadelphia’s pitching plans moving forward.

“That's really what I'm focused on [Friday] – I want to go as deep as possible in the game,” Suárez said. “Because I think the more I pitch, the more I'm going to save the bullpen for the next day.”