PHOENIX — Ranger Suárez will be available out of the bullpen for the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 5 of the NLCS against the Arizona Diamondbacks, manager Rob Thomson revealed in a pregame chat with the media Saturday afternoon.
So is this a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency situation with Suárez or is he a legitimate option to come out of the bullpen in Game 5?
“Oh, he’s a legitimate option,” Thomson said.
If Suárez does indeed factor into Game 5, that wouldn’t affect his availability for a potential Game 7 in Philadelphia on Tuesday, which he’s currently in line to start. Thomson said Saturday will just be treated like a throw day for the lefty.
The Phillies will have their ace in Zack Wheeler on the mound Saturday, and there’s hope that the righty will limit the stress on a taxed bullpen. And given that he has a 2.63 ERA and a minuscule 0.70 WHIP in nine postseason starts with the Phillies, there’s reason to believe Wheeler could be a stopper in Game 5.
Still, Thomson and the Phillies need to be prepared for all possibilities. Whether it’s an injury, ineffectiveness or Wheeler needs 105 pitches to get through five innings, the Phillies can’t assume that their ace will go seven or eight innings in Game 5.
The good news for the Phillies it that all of their relievers came in feeling well Saturday, so there’s no one that is 100% unable to pitch in Game 5.
But realistically, it would be pretty shocking for either Craig Kimbrel or Orion Kerkering to pitch Saturday after each struggled in back-to-back days. Taijuan Walker and Michael Lorenzen, right or wrong, haven’t been leaned upon as high-leverage — or really, any leverage — options this postseason. Gregory Soto hasn’t been effective in four postseason appearances.
Even José Alvarado and Jeff Hoffman would be working for the third day in a row if they pitched Saturday. That doesn’t mean they won’t come in — Alvarado said after Game 4 that he would be available for Game 5 — but this is undoubtedly a taxed bullpen right now.
That’s where Suárez could be asked to resume the Swiss Army Knife role that he occupied last season. He was called upon to close out the NLCS a year ago, and then pitched out of the bullpen in Game 1 of the World Series before starting Game 3 of the Fall Classic.
For as effective as Suárez has been over the last three regular seasons, he arguably becomes even more valuable in the postseason. And perhaps he’ll remind the Phillies of that in Game 5.
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