Suárez struggles, Harper exits early as Phils lose first road game since mid-June

Final Score: Marlins 5, Phillies 3

Since the start of June, the Phillies starting rotation has been one of, if not the best, in Major League Baseball. And Ranger Suárez has been a big part of that.

After the 27-year-old southpaw struggled in his first three starts of 2023, he settled in over the course of his next six starts where he allowed six earned runs in 40 innings — good for a 1.35 ERA.

His last start before today was not as great, though. He gave up five runs in 5 1/3 innings and walked three batters — something he had only done one other time this season — against the Nationals in last Sunday’s 5-4 loss.

The Venezuelan-born lefty did not look as sharp today either as the Phillies franchise record-tying 13-game road winning streak came to an end.

Suárez’s afternoon did not start all that well as he gave up three runs on three hits and two walks in a 28-pitch first inning. Jorge Soler drove in Miami’s first run with a solo home run:

Five batters later, Dane Myers stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and delivered a two-run single to give the Fish the lead:

After a rocky first inning, Suárez continued to allow runners to reach base, but limited the damage to just one more run on a sacrifice fly in the fourth by Soler.

Not only did Suárez not look like himself as a pitcher, but he made a pair of mistakes as a fielder — an area of his game that has always been impressive. In the third inning, he allowed a softly hit comeback-grounder slip between his legs for a single and dropped a bunt that was popped up into the air in the fourth.

Altogether, the lefty pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing four total runs (three earned) on eight hits while walking a season-high four hitters.

Once Suárez was pulled from the game, Yunior Marte allowed a run — ending the bullpen’s outstanding 26-inning scoreless streak — and Dylan Covey pitched a perfect eighth inning.

Meanwhile, the Phillies offense started strong, but went quiet after the second inning. Trea Turner gave Philadelphia an early lead with his 10th home run of the season:

An inning later, down 3-1, the Phillies tied the game after an RBI double by last night’s hero Cristian Pache

and an RBI ground out by Kyle Schwarber.

Over their next seven innings at the dish, the Phillies recorded just two hits and did not get a runner into scoring position after the third inning.

To make matters worse, Bryce Harper was removed from the game after being hit by a pitch in his surgically repaired elbow in the third inning.

Ticket IQ Next Game

• Sunday, July 9 vs. Miami Marlins at loanDepot park
• 1:40 p.m. ET
• TV: NBC Sports Philadelphia
• Radio: SportsRadio 94WIP
• Spanish Radio: WTTM 1680

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