It was alllll apart of the game plan! Rob Thomson, Ranger Suárez, J.T. Realmuto, Bryce Harper, and Bryson Stott discuss their trust in Thomson’s plan.
ATLANTA — Shortly after the Phillies opened the NLDS by winning the series opener in Atlanta for a second straight year, Rob Thomson revealed an interesting managerial decision made prior to the game.
He wrestled with whether or not to tell Ranger Suarez that the lefty would not be going deep into his start Saturday night. The Braves have six right-handed hitters who crushed lefties this season and the Phillies felt good about matching up their high-velocity right-handed relievers.
Suarez began the night with three scoreless innings, facing the minimum nine batters. He retired 10 of the first 11 with the only baserunner being quickly erased on a stolen base attempt. His changeup and curveball were working and he was utilizing both corners.
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But after a two-out single by Matt Olson and a fielder's choice where Ozzie Albies beat the throw to second base, Thomson walked up the dugout steps and out to the mound to remove Suarez. The pitcher did not look happy, and that's OK, Thomson said afterward.
"We were contemplating whether or not to explain it to him before the game," Thomson said. "We decided not to, but I explained it to him afterward and he understood it. He's a competitor. I get it. I'm OK with him being disappointed.
"There's one thought that you tell him to empty the tank early, don't worry about going deep. Is that the best message to send him, or is it, 'Just go and pitch your game?' I decided not to tell him and let him pitch his game and he did, he pitched well and he was disappointed to come out. All moves are scrutinized this time of year, I get it. If that didn't work out, it would be scrutinized. But it is what it is and you've got to make the best decision in your mind that needs to be made."
Thomson managed aggressively throughout the 2022 postseason, often turning to his high-leverage relievers by the middle of the game to quash potential rallies. Jose Alvarado, for example, entered in the fifth or sixth inning in five of his 12 playoff appearances a year ago.
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For the most part, that aggressiveness worked, right up until Game 6 of the World Series when Thomson pulled a dialed-in Zack Wheeler at just 70 pitches in the sixth inning and the move backfired with all-world lefty slugger Yordan Alvarez taking Alvarado deep.
The plan Saturday night in Game 1 was to ride Suarez until a right-handed pocket of the Braves' lineup came up in a tense spot. When that situation presented itself in the fourth inning, Thomson went to Jeff Hoffman, the righty reliever the Phillies feel most comfortable and confident using in the middle of an inning.
"You hate to take a guy out," Thomson said. "He's pitching well, he knows he's pitching well, but just because of the off-days, it was Hoffman after Suarez no matter what. Just wanted to make sure we got the right spot for him."
The Phillies and Braves are off Sunday and again Tuesday, giving both managers the chance to empty their bullpens if they so choose. The Phils are better stocked in the 'pen than the Braves, with eight different relievers they believe they can turn to in leverage spots: Craig Kimbrel, Alvarado, Hoffman, Seranthony Dominguez, Gregory Soto, Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering and Cristopher Sanchez. They used six Saturday night.
"Really didn't have a script," Thomson said. "Just reading the situation and how Ranger was. I thought Ranger was really good. … Hoffman, he's been doing that for us all year, coming into dirty innings and getting out of it. Just thought that was the time.
"All in all, great job by the pitching staff."
Dominguez, who hadn't pitched in five days and allowed five runs in his final nine appearances, worked himself into a jam by putting runners on the corners with one out in the fifth inning. Ronald Acuña Jr. was due up next. Gulps all over the Delaware Valley.
But Dominguez pounded the inside corner to strike out Acuña looking, then challenged Austin Riley with a 99 mph fastball down the middle for an inning-ending punchout.
"Everything was encouraging," catcher J.T. Realmuto said. "He got us out of a huge spot, first and third with one out and the top of their lineup coming up. Him being able to get through that and hopefully gain some confidence and trust his stuff, that's big for the Phillies."
The Braves hadn't been shut out in 125 games. They hadn't been shut out at home in more than two years. This might have been the Phillies' best win of 2023 and was certainly their top pitching performance as a staff against Atlanta's record-setting offense.
"That many guys being on in one night is very hard to do, especially against a lineup that good," Realmuto said. "They kept the hitters off-balance really well the entire game. Our pitching staff was incredible tonight. Every single guy, they didn't let us down today. They threw the ball really well."
Even if the Phillies drop Game 2 on Monday night, they'll have a chance to win the series at home. They also know that if the Best-of-Five series goes the full five games, they'll have Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola pitching in three of the remaining four.
"That's one of the best offenses in the game in their home ballpark," said Bryce Harper, who homered off of Spencer Strider, reached base all four times and scored two of the Phillies' three runs. "For us to come down here and get one was huge."
Getting two would be even sweeter. The Phillies will have their ace on the mound with a chance to take a commanding series lead Monday.
"This team, to a man, has this innate toughness to them," Thomson said. "They just keep fighting. It's a great combination of talent and make-up that we have on this club.
"It's always important to win Game 1 but I think Game 2 is pretty important too. It's kind of a swing game. You can't let up at all against this ballclub because they're good and they can attack. We've got to stay nose to the grindstone."
