The Philadelphia Phillies will look to record their first series sweep of the season on Wednesday evening when they play the finale of a three-game set against the visiting Colorado Rockies.
The Phillies defeated the Rockies 5-0 on Tuesday thanks in large part to Ranger Suarez’s second career shutout. Suarez threw a career-high 112 pitches and struck out eight but walked only one.
Bryce Harper hit a home run, double and knocked in three runs, and J.T. Realmuto added a two-run shot for the Phillies, who moved two games above .500.
“The run support helps us to relax,” Suarez said on a postgame interview on NBC Sports Philadelphia. “It’s not only run support. We made a lot of defensive plays that made us relax.”
Harper’s performance was more than enough to propel the offense. In recent games, he has been making contact but hitting the ball at fielders.
“He has been hitting the ball hard,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “He just hasn’t had anything to show for it.”
The Phillies will hand the ball to Cristopher Sanchez (0-2, 3.52 ERA) on Wednesday.
In Sanchez’s most recent start, against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, he allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits with six strikeouts and three walks in six innings. Sanchez struggled a bit with his command, but Thomson doesn’t seem to be too worried.
“I thought (his last start) was good,” Thomson said. “The last start in Washington (on April 7), he wasn’t getting ahead of hitters, but I thought he was pretty good (against the Pirates).”
Sanchez is 0-0 with a 6.23 ERA in one career start against the Rockies. He surrendered three runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings in that game last April.
The Rockies have just four runs during their four-game losing streak.
Ryan McMahon had two of the team’s seven hits on Tuesday. The Rockies went 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position, with five left on base.
The Rockies remained short-handed with second baseman Brendan Rodgers and former Phillie Jake Cave out with an illness and Kris Bryant sidelined with a sore back.
Bryant has missed three straight games. His status is unclear for Wednesday’s series finale.
“In the next day or two, we’re probably going to have to make a decision,” Rockies manager Bud Black said. “Kris, hopefully, in the next 24 hours, will get marked improvement. That’s what we are hoping for. If that’s the case, we can keep him active.”
Without these players, the Rockies scuffled at the plate again. In fact, Colorado has scored first just once in 18 games this season.
“We got a lot of guys cutting their teeth, just young players,” Black said. “They’re seeing (Toronto’s Jose) Berrios, (Philadelphia’s Aaron) Nola and tonight Suarez. This is experience firsthand against major league pitching. Our guys will be better from it.”
Right-hander Ryan Feltner (1-1, 3.38 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Rockies on Wednesday.
In Feltner’s last start, against the Blue Jays on Friday, he allowed two runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
“I fell behind a little bit more than I would have liked, but I was able to work through some of those situations and get out of them unscathed for the most part,” Feltner said.
In four career starts against the Phillies, Feltner is 1-2 with a 5.63 ERA.
–Field Level Media