Ranger Suárez’s post-injury struggles continued and the Phillies offense was almost nonexistent in a 9-1 loss to the Nationals to begin the last series of the regular season. Suárez lasted just two innings and allowed six runs while the bats managed just one run on an Austin Hays homer in the 8th. It was ugly baseball all around for the Phillies, with two errors and numerous mental mistakes in the field.

Not what you want to see

Suárez ran into trouble almost immediately in the first inning. He allowed a lead-off hustle double to Dylan Crews to begin the game after a seven pitch at bat. James Wood then lined out for the first out, but Juan Yepez quickly followed with an RBI single that put the Nats up 1-0. Suárez was then able to retire Keibert Ruiz on a groundout before surrendering a two-run home run to Stone Garrett in his first at-bat of the 2024 season that pushed the deficit to 3-0.

It would only get worse for Suárez, as he then allowed a single and a walk to put two more runners on with two outs. Both runners would advance to scoring position on a double steal before Jacob Young scored one with an infield single to push the Washington lead to 4-0. Suárez finally got Nasim Nunez out on strikes to end the inning, but nine men had come to the plate and Suárez had thrown 42 pitches to record three outs.

It didn’t get much better in the second, as Crews walked to begin the inning and Wood followed with a single. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners to scoring position. And they both quickly scored on a Ruiz single up the middle, digging the hole to 6-0. Suárez recovered to record the final two outs, but more than enough damage was done. He would then exit after two innings with 6 runs allowed on 7 hits and 2 walks with 2 strikeouts on 59 pitches.

Tyler Gilbert entered to try and give Philadelphia some length and he allowed a run on two hits in two innings. Jose Alvarado pitched a scoreless inning before Jose Ruiz allowed another run in the seventh after three hits and a mental blunder where he didn’t cover first base on a groundball. Tanner Banks allowed an unearned run in the eighth after a double fielding error from Alec Bohm and Edmundo Sosa.