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How Rob Thomson’s handling of Ranger Suárez set the tone for all-time bullpen performance

Ranger Suárez was pulled early in Game 1 of the NLDS. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire)

ATLANTA — There are two great high wire acts in Phillies history.

The first came in 1972 when the Great Wallenda walked across a tightrope in front of 30,000 fans at Veterans Stadium. The second came on Saturday.

Rob Thomson and the Phillies pitching brain trust devised an ambitious plan to stop the most complete offense in baseball history. There were some close calls, but it worked.

As the Phillies offense strung together a couple runs over seven innings against Atlanta Braves ace Spencer Strider, seven Phillies pitchers limited the Braves to just five singles in a 3-0 Game 1 win.

It was the first time since May 12 the Braves were held scoreless in a game. They had not been shut out at Truist Park since Aug. 28, 2021.

The first call to the bullpen was the most scrutinized.

Starter Ranger Suárez was cruising. He faced the minimum through three innings and recorded the first two outs of the fourth against Ronald Acuña Jr. and Austin Riley. He allowed a 92.2 mph single, his hardest hit ball of the night, to Matt Olson to extend the inning. Following a fielder’s choice on a ball to shortstop, Thomson had time, but he didn’t need it.

Jeff Hoffman was the guy. He was always going to be Thomson’s first call to the bullpen, regardless of the matchup.

Olson was initially called out at second on a throw that wasn’t even close from Trea Turner. Atlanta challenged and the call was quickly overturned. Thomson walked toward the home plate umpire after the review to buy time for his reliever warming up. Before hitting the top step of the dugout, Thomson turned around and walked to the mound. Suárez turned his back and looked to the sky.

He was not happy, but he was not caught off guard. Thomson spoke to Suárez and catcher J.T. Realmuto before the game about the team’s plan to be aggressive with the off day on Saturday and the plethora of bullpen options at his disposal.

“[Thomson], he talked to me before the game and let me know with the off day tomorrow and then the off day again after Game 2, we’re going to manage this one like it’s a do-or-die game,” Realmuto said. “We have our whole bullpen available. So if something gets hairy early in the game, don’t be surprised if we make a move.”

“They did talk to me about it, so I was ready to come out of the game any time they wanted me to come out,” Suarez said through a team interpreter.

There was an internal debate on the right way to deliver the message to Suárez. They told Suárez to expect a quicker than usual hook. They did not get into specific detail on just how quick that hook could be.

“We were contemplating whether to explain it to him before the game,” Thomson said. “We decided not to. But I explained it to him afterwards and he understood. He’s a competitor. He wants to stay in, and he knew how well he was pitching. So I get it. I’m OK with him being disappointed.”

Thomson was asked to explain the decision to withhold the details.

“One thought is that you tell him to empty the tank early,” Thomson said. “Don’t worry about going deep. Is that the best message to send him or is it, hey, you know, just go and pitch your game. Don’t worry about it and just pitch your game. So I decided not to tell him and let him pitch his game, and he pitched well.”

Suárez said the Phillies staff handled it “perfectly.”

“I know myself as a competitor,” Suárez said. “It would have taken me out of my preparation zone or comfort zone, whatever you want to call it. As a starting pitcher, you want to go deep in games. If I had known it was going to be a short outing, it probably would have taken some energy out of me.”

Players love Thomson for his advanced feel for the game and ability to communicate. But sometimes ignorance is bliss.

Suárez needed only 11 pitches to retire the Braves’ 1-2-3 in order in the first. It was a big deal. The Braves’ .982 OPS in the first inning during the regular season was 91 points higher than the second best team, the Dodgers, who had an .891 OPS in the first frame.

Pitchers who are expected to get through a lineup three times usually don’t show the opposing team all of their pitches in the first. Part of the Phillies’ aggressive plan was to treat the first like it was the ninth. He threw three four seamers, three sinkers, two changeups, two curveballs and one cutter.

“We used Ranger like a closer in the first inning,” Realmuto said. “We weren’t necessarily trying to save his best pitches or set guys up for a second or third at-bat. We just attacked them how we would if the game was on the line.”

The Phillies followed Suárez with six relievers that could all be closers. Hoffman stranded the bases loaded by getting Michael Harris II to strike out on a nasty splitter. Seranthony Domínguez allowed two hits, but all three of his outs recorded were strikeouts in the fifth. Rookie Orion Kerkering needed only eight pitches to retire the bottom of the Braves’ order in the seventh. Matt Strahm retired Olson with two on and no out and escaped a jam in the eighth thanks to a spectacular double play turned by Turner and Bryson Stott. José Alvarado and Craig Kimbrel, the two Phillies closers, sprinkled in scoreless innings in the sixth and ninth innings respectively.

The reward is a momentum-shifting win and a relaxing off day on Sunday in front of the TV watching football.

Maybe Thomson, like Wallenda, will mix in a drink or two to decompress after a successful high wire act.