Angels win deciding game in series as Phillies' starter cannot continue recent success
PHILADELPHIA – Ranger Suarez’s first pitch sailed nearly 400 feet off the bat of Zach Neto into center field but was cradled on the warning track by Brandon Marsh while looking into a bright sun.
The Angels’ next hitter, Nolan Schanuel, launched a Suarez offering a few feet to the right of the right-field foul pole, which spawned a second audible sigh of relief from the 40,616 settling in at Citizens Bank Park July 20.
That crowd likely assumed such scares would be the exception rather than the rule, considering Suarez’s recent success.
He entered the game with a 7-3 record and 2.15 ERA, fifth best in Major League baseball among pitchers who’d thrown 75 innings or more. Suarez had 10 straight quality starts through June 29, the longest stretch in MLB this year.
As it turned out, Suarez’s first-inning troubles were not an aberration on this Sunday afternoon. They were just an appetizer.
It also certainly stirred eerie thoughts of Suarez’s second-half trouble last year.
A five-hit, five-run second inning followed for the Angels that was keyed by Taylor Ward’s 3-run double and set the stage for their 8-2 win.
The visitors took two of three and the still-in-first-place Phillies now face a much better American League foe when the Red Sox visit for the start of a 3-game set July 21.
None of Suarez's 24 first-inning pitches exceeded 90 mph. He hit 92 mph on one second-inning pitch.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson blamed poor command and inability to fool batters with his changeup for Suarez's troubles.
"If it was down, it was down a tick," Thomson said of Suarez's velocity, "and I don't have concerns if he's got his command, because he can pitch."
Suarez was lifted down 6-1 after he allowed his eighth hit and issued his season-high fourth walk (he also hit a batter) with one out in the fourth inning, making it an uh-oh afternoon for the Phillies.
In contrast, Angels starter Jose Soriano gave up just six hits and two runs, one coming on Otto Kemp's homer, in seven innings.
"My curveball, I wasn't securing it," Suarez said through an interpreter. "My changeup wasn't there. And the sinkers, I was leaving them up in the middle of the zone."
Suarez was making his first start since July 11 due to the All-Star Break, but the rest apparently did him no good. But he didn't blame that or the 41-minute pregame rain delay which came before he warmed up.
"My command was awful today," Suarez said. "I just didn't have control of any of my pitches. That's the main reason we got the loss today."
Last year, he was 10-4 with a 2.76 ERA before the All-Star Break and 2-4 with a 5.65 ERA after, winning just twice in 10 starts after July 1. All hope this outing does not portend a similar follow-up.
"The time off maybe affected him," Thomson said. "Just gotta see what he does next time [this weekend at Yankee Stadium]."
One rough outing shouldn’t cause alarm, though fretting Phillies fans have a penchant for fearing the worst and recent history dictates such. This was also the the third straight game the Phillies’ starting pitcher didn’t reach the fifth inning.
"I think it's just about turning the page over," Suarez said. "We can't go back in time the way we do things. We just gotta focus on what's next."
Contact Kevin Tresolini at [email protected] and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Ranger Suarez struggles in Phillies loss to Angels
Category: Baseball
