Ranger Suarez is up to 52 more innings than he'd pitched through this date a season ago, so it shouldn't be all that surprising that he's experiencing fatigue leading into the All-Star break.
Suarez retired the Oakland Athletics on just 15 pitches over the first two innings Friday night before laboring through the third and fifth. He threw 32 pitches in a three-run third that began with two outs and nobody on, then gave up another run and loaded the bases a second time in the fifth.
The Phillies lost, 6-2, to an A's team that had dropped 25 of its last 29 road games.
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Suarez enters the break with a 2.76 ERA after allowing 15 earned runs in 14⅔ innings over his last three starts. His sinker on Friday night averaged a career-low 90.0 mph. He had trouble locating, hasn't missed bats his last three times out, and at times Friday night had trouble reaching the plate.
Following each of his last two starts, he’s shut down the notion that he’s tiring out.
“No, I worked for this during the offseason, I worked towards the goal of having a full season,” Suarez said. “I knew I was going to pitch a lot of innings this season and I’m ready for it. I feel good.
“I’m just trying to be too sharp on the mound. I’ve been trying to be too sharp on the mound the last few outings and I just have to let go of that. I think I’ll be better at doing that and the team will be in a much better position.”
Philadelphia Phillies
Suarez needs next week's break as much as any Phillie, though it will be shorter for him because he was selected as an All-Star and may pitch in the game.
“I think the break’s gonna be good, I think it’s gonna be good for everybody, really,” manager Rob Thomson said. “Velocity’s down a bit but not too bad and he can still pitch at that velocity.”
Potential Phillies trade target Brent Rooker went 2-for-5 with two singles, an RBI and three strikeouts for Oakland. He's hitting .281 with an .897 OPS and would fit the description of right-handed power bat the Phils could use. Rooker can stand in left field occasionally but was the designated hitter Friday and it bears mentioning that he hasn't played the field in 35 games dating back to May 30.
The A's started lefty Hogan Harris and the Phillies had the immortal one on the ropes in each of the first two innings but couldn't drop the leg. Harris walked five of the first 10 hitters he faced and only one scored.
You could sense it wasn't the Phillies' night when Trea Turner broke for second and Bryce Harper crushed a line drive right at A's first baseman Armando Alvarez for a double play to end the fifth. Turner was ejected in the bottom of the eighth after arguing a called third strike. The Phillies had struck out four times to that point, all looking, and all four players (Alec Bohm, Nick Castellanos, Kyle Schwarber and Turner) had words with home plate umpire David Rackley.
The A's are 35-61 and a team the 61-33 Phillies should be able to beat up on, but the series isn't off to a great start with a loss Friday ahead of Tyler Phillips' first career start Saturday and a potential bullpen game Sunday.
The final game before the break would have been Zack Wheeler's turn in the rotation but the Phillies will hold him out because of back spasms. The team is not concerned about the Wheeler injury but Thomson did say Friday afternoon that he'd likely start the second series out of the break rather than the first. Thomson said the Phillies may also delay Suarez’ first start of the second half until the end of the first cycle through the rotation.