One of Ranger Suarez' most impressive beginnings to a start quickly turned into a hit parade as the Phillies lost, 7-2, to even their four-game weekend series with the Braves.
Suarez struck out the first five batters he faced and retired the first six in order. But after the Phillies stranded a runner in scoring position in each of the first two innings, Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia and catcher Sean Murphy greeted Suarez with back-to-back homers in the top of the third.
The lefty then quickly found himself in a first-and-third, no-out jam in the fourth inning and both runners scored. Suarez' night ended after four innings and 78 pitches, 24 of them in a high-stress fourth. He never had command of his secondary pitches, notably the changeup that has held hitters to a .193 batting average this season.
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Suarez has made two starts since returning from a month-long absence with lower back soreness. He allowed one run over five innings in a win last Saturday in Kansas City, throwing 72 pitches. The Phillies had a limit in mind for him Friday and it was likely reduced slightly by the number of pitches he threw in the third and fourth. They wanted his pitch count to remain in the same range before extending him by 15 or so pitches in his next start next Thursday in Miami.
The Phillies have trailed by multiple runs entering the fifth inning in four of the five games of this week's homestand. They didn't score Friday until Bryson Stott pulled a solo homer off Reynaldo Lopez to lead off the bottom of the fifth. Stott has slumped most of the summer but walked three times in the series opener and is hitting .327 with a .404 on-base percentage over his last 15 games. The Phils' only other run came on a solo homer by J.T. Realmuto in the seventh.
Alec Bohm did not play because of swelling and inflammation in his left hand. He suffered the injury on an awkward swing against Charlie Morton in his only at-bat Thursday. Bohm stayed in the game and played another inning before exiting. He underwent treatment on Friday but it was unlikely he'd have been used anyway and the Phillies will obviously exercise caution with their All-Star third baseman.
The series is even with the only two remaining regular-season meetings between the Phillies and Braves on Saturday and Sunday. The Phils are 79-56, five games ahead of the 74-61 Braves. The weekend will conclude with the Phillies leading the division by either three, five or seven games.
Philadelphia Phillies
They'd love to win the series but simply splitting these final two games would leave the Phillies in great shape to win the NL East. They'd lead Atlanta by five games with 25 to go. The 2007 Phillies famously made up seven games on the Mets with 17 to play but that included a three-game head-to-head sweep. The Braves won't have the ability to make up that kind of direct ground after Sept. 1.