Phillies out of running for NL top seed following Saturday’s shutout loss to Minnesota

Ranger Suárez was doubled over.

A 106 mph liner from Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers had just hit him flush on his left thigh. When he noticed the ball next to him on the ground, Suárez still managed to fire it to first base before falling to the grass, though Jeffers beat the throw easily.

Manager Rob Thomson and trainer Joe Rauch rushed out of the dugout to lift Suárez from the game right away. After he stood up, the Phillies lefty smiled and shared a laugh with Bryson Stott, and he was able to walk off under his own power.

“I was lucky,” Suárez said afterward through a team interpreter. He joked with Thomson as he left the game that the ball had hit “all muscle.”

But with one game remaining in the regular season, the Phillies had no reason to risk anything further.

Following Saturday’s 5-0 loss to Minnesota, the Phillies are officially out of contention for the top overall seed in the National League, finishing second to the Milwaukee Brewers. But even more important for the Phillies’ playoff outlook is Suárez’s health, and the Phillies feel caught a lucky break as he escaped with just a bruised thigh.

Suárez will be ready to make his next scheduled start, Thomson said, but would not specify when that start will be.

“It was a little scary at the time,” Thomson said. “The way he just kind of hunched over, I thought it got his hand or something.”

Overall, Suárez’s command hadn’t been as sharp as usual. He had only pitched 4 ⅓ innings before that play and had given up nine hits — including a pair of solo homers — that put the Phillies in a 3-0 hole.

“It was a little bit of everything,” Suárez said. “My cutter wasn’t landing where I wanted it to, and I was living with the fastball in the middle of the zone. So it’s always a tough night when your primary pitches aren’t doing what you want.”

It’s been a bit of a recent trend for Suárez to struggle in his final outing of the regular season. Last year, he only lasted two innings against the Nationals, giving up six earned runs. In 2023, he also gave up six earned runs in 4 ⅔ innings against Pittsburgh. But each time, he turned things around for the postseason. Suárez has a career 1.43 ERA in 10 playoff games.

He remains confident he will be able to do the same thing this year.

“That’s what we worked for throughout the whole year,” Suárez said. “That’s a team goal that we have, and to play into October, through October, and even in November. So that’s what we have in mind.”

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The offense, meanwhile, struggled against familiar face Mick Abel. The right-hander made his major league debut with the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in May, and eventually earned a spot in the starting rotation while Aaron Nola was on the injured list.

But after a string of tough outings, the Phillies optioned Abel to triple A, and eventually traded him along with catching prospect Eduardo Tait to Minnesota in exchange for closer Jhoan Duran.

Abel threw six scoreless innings against his former team in his best outing as a member of the Twins. He limited the Phillies to three hits and one walk. Abel struck out the side in the first inning, retiring Harrison Bader, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper in order, and finished with nine total strikeouts.

“He was really good,” Thomson said. “I mean, you have to give him credit. ... Throwing all his pitches for strikes. He kept guys off-balance, and powered the fastball. It was really good.”

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Max Lazar entered the game in emergency relief for Suárez. He pitched 2 ⅓ innings and allowed two more runs to score in the seventh on a solo home run and a walk followed by a double. Orion Kerkering, who had allowed an earned run in each of his last four appearances, came in with a runner on second. He struck out Royce Lewis on his sweeper to end the inning.

“He went right after the hitter,” Thomson said. “We wanted to get him in an inning where there’s traffic out there, and he got out of it. That was good.”

The Phillies put two runners on in the bottom of the ninth with singles from Harper and J.T. Realmuto, but Nick Castellanos struck out to end the game.

Thomson announced postgame that Trea Turner, who has been on the injured list since Sept. 8 with a hamstring strain, will be activated for Sunday’s regular-season finale. He will start at shortstop.

“He’s wanting to play,” Thomson said, “and the trainers deemed him healthy.”