Ranger Suárez to start for Team Venezuela in exhibition against Astros

After not making an appearance in Clearwater before departing Phillies camp ahead of the World Baseball Classic, left-hander Ranger Suárez will make his spring debut for Team Venezuela in the first of the club’s two exhibition games prior to the tournament.

According to Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle, Venezuela manager Omar López announced that Suárez will take the mound on Wednesday for around two innings in a matchup against a Houston Astros team that defeated the Phillies in last fall’s World Series at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.

Despite the loss in six games, Suárez himself had his fair share of success against the Astros the last time around, making a key relief appearance in a Game 1 win and earning the victory as the Game 3 starter to complete a postseason run in which he emerged as not only a dependable arm, but a versatile weapon that can be used in nearly any situation.

That skillset could come into use for the 27-year-old as he participates in the WBC for the first time. Pitch count limits for pitchers require teams to get creative with how they utilize their staff and piece together a gameplan; Suárez’s experience as both a starter and a reliever in big games should be an advantage heading into the tournament.

Suárez, his Phillies teammate José Alvarado and the rest of Team Venezuela will have a second exhibition against the New York Mets on Thursday before starting the WBC this upcoming weekend. A member of Pool D in the tournament, Venezuela will open up WBC play against the Dominican Republic on Saturday night at 7 p.m. at Miami’s loanDepot Park with the game broadcasted on FS1.

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