WASHINGTON -- The Phillies hope this isn’t the version of Ranger Suárez they will be getting in the postseason.

Because this recent version is concerning.

Suárez allowed six runs in two innings in Friday night’s 9-1 loss to the Nats at Nationals Park. He lacked command and velocity from the very first batter he faced, grinding through a 42-pitch first inning against a team that had scored a combined four runs in its previous four games, and had scored one or fewer runs in seven of its previous 10.

“Obviously, I wanted to have at least a decent start before the playoffs,” Suárez said through the team’s interpreter. “It didn’t happen. Let’s turn the page and just have a strong mind going into the playoffs now.”

Friday was Suárez’s final start of the 2024 regular season. His next start could be Game 4 of the National League Division Series, assuming Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola and Cristopher Sánchez start the first three games of the best-of-five series.

“Well, I always have confidence in him because I think he’s very poised, that slow heartbeat comes into play,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “I hope and I think that the adrenaline of the playoffs will pick it up. … He’s going to be the fourth starter, that’s for sure. But I always have confidence in him. I really do.”

A few months ago, Suárez starting Game 4 in any series would have been a display of one of baseball’s best rotations. The left-hander has been one of the Phillies’ best postseason performers the past two years, going 3-1 with a 1.62 ERA and one save in nine appearances (seven starts). But he is just 2-3 with a 5.74 ERA (20 earned runs in 31 1/3 innings) in seven starts since he rejoined the rotation on Aug. 24 following a month-long stint on the injured list because of a bad back.

Suárez just hasn’t looked like the same pitcher.

“Obviously, I haven’t had great starts, but besides that I feel good,” Suárez said. “It’s turning the page and a fresh beginning going into the playoffs.”

Suárez was 10-2 with a 1.83 ERA in 16 starts through June 25, pushing him onto his first NL All-Star team. But he showed signs of regression in four starts before he landed on the IL in late July, going 0-3 with a 7.71 ERA from June 30 through July 22.

He hasn’t pitched six innings in a start since July 12. He hasn’t had a quality start since June 25.

“I’m not concerned about his health,” Thomson said. “But his stuff was down tonight. I think everybody saw that. But I think the last two years, the final start of his season wasn’t very good. They were kind of similar to this. Maybe he needs a little bit of time off, which he’ll get. Then pick it up with adrenaline with the playoffs. Maybe that’s what it is. I don’t know. But it wasn’t very crisp tonight.”

Baseball people like to say you can’t flip a switch, but the Phillies might be hoping that Suárez can.

“I hope so,” Thomson said. “I think he did that the last two years, so I hope he can do it again.”

Suárez acknowledged last weekend that he had been holding back a bit because of his back, which might have affected his use of his lower half.

A hypothetical Game 4 of the NLDS will be on the road on Oct. 9.

It leaves Suárez 12 days to figure it out.