Phillies hope it will be ‘right man, right spot’ with Ranger Suárez starting Game 7

by Alex Coffey
Published Oct. 23, 2023, 10:53 p.m. ET

The Phillies will make history this week, but not the kind they want to make. In their 141-year history, they have never played a Game 7. That will change on Tuesday night, when Phillies starter Ranger Suárez takes the mound against the Diamondbacks’ Brandon Pfaadt to decide the National League Championship Series.

It’s not a position anyone predicted the Phillies to be in, but after a wasted opportunity on Monday night, this is where they are. They managed only six hits and one run against Merrill Kelly and the Diamondbacks’ bullpen in a 5-1 loss in Game 6. They went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

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Phillies starter Aaron Nola struggled to locate his fastball, and came out after 4⅓ innings. Manager Rob Thomson had to use four relievers. It wasn’t ideal. But for now, ahead of a matchup that will end their season or send them to World Series, the message is this: don’t press.

“I think that’s going to be a message: Don’t try to do too much,” said Kyle Schwarber. “Don’t let anything dictate how you feel. Just go in there, take a pitch at a time, take an out at a time. That’s what [Tuesday] is going to be. It’s going to be an exciting game and we’re all looking forward to it.”

He added: “This team is too good. Every time we’ve had something tough come about, we’ve responded. And everyone is going to have the right mindset [Tuesday]. I’m sure there will be conversations to be had, good old baseball talk, things like that. But you don’t want to put extra pressure. The writing is on the wall. It’s Game 7. Everyone sees it, everyone knows it, we know that we’ve got to come out and play our best game [Tuesday]. So, like I said, this is going to be a thing where you play the game, play every out and go from there.”

NLCS: D'backs defeat Phillies, 4-3

Game 1: Phillies 5, Diamondbacks 3 | Hayes | Murphy

Game 2: Phillies 10, Diamondbacks 0 | Hayes | Murphy

Game 3: Diamondbacks 2, Phillies 1 | Hayes | Murphy

Game 4: Diamondbacks 6, Phillies 5 | Hayes | Murphy

Game 5: Phillies 6, Diamondbacks 1 | Hayes | Murphy

Game 6: Diamondbacks 5, Phillies 1 | Hayes | Murphy

Game 7: Diamondbacks 4, Phillies 2 | Hayes | Murphy

 

Suárez will take the same approach, but for him, it should come naturally. The left-hander is known for being nonchalant. He said Tuesday night will be no different.

“There’s always pressure in a Game 7,” Suárez said. “But we have to not think too much about it and just play our game.”

“[His calm demeanor] is definitely contagious,” added outfielder Nick Castellanos. “So I think he’s right man, right spot. I know we’re all excited for him to take the mound [Tuesday].”

Suárez has a 0.64 ERA over three postseason outings this season with 13 strikeouts. Ahead of his first appearance, he said he wanted to pitch deeper into games this this time. He hasn’t done that so far. On Oct. 7 against Atlanta in the NLDS, he pitched 3⅔ innings, as part of Thomson’s plan to keep the Braves off-balance. He went five innings on Oct. 12 against Atlanta at home, and 5⅓ against the Diamondbacks in Game 3 on Thursday.

His most recent outing was by far his best of the three. Suárez allowed just three hits, with no earned runs and one walk with seven strikeouts. He could get his chance to pitch deep on Tuesday night.

“Tomorrow will be like a World Series game,” Suarez said. “I’ll be ready. I’ll do everything I can. It’s win or go home.”

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If Suárez does pitch the way the Phillies expect him to, he has a chance to send his team to the World Series for the second year in a row. Last year, he recorded the final two outs of Game 5 of the NLCS against the Padres, allowing no hits, runs or walks. He needed just two pitches to do so.

This year, he could give his team yet another lift, but out of the rotation rather than the bullpen. Regardless, if Suárez if forced out early, the Phillies will have backup options. Thomson said everyone except Nola will be available to pitch.

“It’s going to be all hands on deck,” Schwarber said. “It’s going to be fight, scratch, claw, do whatever you can to score a run, find a way to get outs, find a way to move up an extra 90 feet. Anything that you can. [Tuesday] is going to be a really exciting baseball game, because anything goes. This could be it. It’s exciting.”

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