On this date one year ago, Ranger Suárez cemented his status in Phillies lore with an incredible outing out of the bullpen to seal the Phillies’ first National League pennant since 2009.
The Phillies will need him again as they look to clinch a second straight World Series berth. This time, he will be the starting pitcher for the Phillies.
The Phillies dropped Game 6 at home to the Diamondbacks, 5-1, to force the first Game 7 in the 140-year history of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Win and Broad Street will be filled with Phillies fans through the early morning of Oct. 25. Lose and the 2023 Phillies will go down as one of the biggest “what ifs” in franchise history.
The confidence on the outside is fleeting. The Diamondbacks played their most complete game of the series in Game 6. They homered twice and scored three runs against Aaron Nola in the second inning. Merrill Kelly dotted the outside corner and limited the Phillies to just one run over five innings. Arizona’s bullpen was just as good.
The young and scrappy Diamondbacks suddenly look like they have a real chance of shocking the baseball world and pulling off a massive upset to reach the World Series.
Unless Suárez has his say.
“It’s a very exciting opportunity,” Suárez said through a team interpreter. “I think tomorrow is gonna be a great day.”
The calmness Suárez exudes could have an impact on the Phillies, who desperately need a boost after getting smacked in the face.
“Nothing’s too big for him,” Nola said. “He’s got a really slow heartbeat. Everybody in his clubhouse and organization has confidence in him to go out and compete. That’s what he does all the time. He’s going to give us everything he’s got.”
“It’s definitely contagious,” Nick Castellanos said. “So I think that he’s definitely right man, right spot. I know that we’re all excited for him to take the mound tomorrow.”
The bats have to put up a better fight if they’re going to advance. The offense registered only one extra-base hit, a double by J.T. Realmuto, in the second inning. Brandon Marsh and Alec Bohm, who both singled twice, were the only Phillies hitters to record multiple hits.
Kelly settled in, but he gave the Phillies a chance in the first when he pitched around both Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper to give Bohm and Bryson Stott a chance to come through with two on and one out. Bohm struck out looking and Stott popped out to end the inning.
Rob Thomson will not change the lineup. If the Phillies are going to win, it’s going to be with Bohm batting fourth and Stott hitting fifth.
Did he give any consideration to making a change?
“Zero.”
What will change is how aggressive Thomson will be with the bullpen. His top leverage arms, Jeff Hoffman, José Alvarado, Matt Strahm and Seranthony Domínguez, did not pitch in Game 6.
Michael Lorenzen, in his first appearance since Game 3 of the NLDS, recorded five outs in a gutsy outing in relief of Nola. He relied heavily on sliders and sweepers to strand Ketel Marte at third in the fifth inning. It was a relief outing that could have been a momentum shifter, but it wasn’t because the bats never got going.
Maybe he factors into the Phillies’ pitching plans in Game 7. Zack Wheeler could also come out of the bullpen for the Phillies.
“It’s going to be all hands on deck,” Thomson said. “Everybody but Nola.”
In an ideal world, Suárez dominates for five or six innings, the Phillies offense makes it a laugher and Thomson saves Wheeler for a Game 1 or 2 of the World Series.
Only one can hope that it won’t be painful.
“I’m just glad we’re at home and being able to play in front of our home crowd,” Harper said. “Only one game matters and that’s tomorrow.”
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