Ranger Suárez recently endured a tough start for the Philadelphia Phillies in the series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Despite a clean opening, the Venezuelan lefty lost command and gave up seven runs before the fifth inning, marking one of the roughest outings of his career.

Speaking after the game, Suárez admitted something felt off once he had to pitch from the stretch: “More than anything, I was overthrowing from the stretch, and that could’ve affected my command,” he said, referring to his struggles beginning in the third inning.

“From the stretch, I was trying to do a little too much,” he added. Even with the disappointing result, Suárez tried to find a positive takeaway. “Besides the runs scored and the walks, what I take from today is that I feel fine — and things will come along.”

Why the Phillies Turned to Ranger Suárez

The Phillies gave Suárez his first start of the 2025 MLB season in that matchup against the Diamondbacks, trusting in the form he showed last year. In 2024, Suárez went 12-4 with a 3.46 ERA, proving to be one of the team’s most reliable starters.

His return to the rotation pushed Taijuan Walker to the bullpen — a move that raised some eyebrows. Walker had posted a 2.54 ERA over six starts this season before the switch.

A Throwback to a Rough Beginning

Suárez’s outing on Sunday was statistically his worst since his second career start in 2018, when he gave up 6 runs in a 24-4 blowout loss to the Mets. At the time, he was still getting his first taste of major league action as a young starter.