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On Wednesday afternoon, Ranger Suárez's post-All-Star break struggles continued, and now former Phillies pitcher Ricky Bottalico is sounding the alarm. Following the Phillies’ 5-1 loss to the Orioles, Bottalico said on NBC Sports Philadelphia that Suárez “looks gassed” and suggested the left-hander may be hitting a wall in the dog days of summer.
“He just doesn’t look like the same pitcher,” Bottalico said. “You’re starting to see diminished velocity, less command, and frankly, some fatigue. I think he’s running out of gas.”
The numbers back him up. After allowing just 18 earned runs in his first 12 starts of the season, Suárez has surrendered the same number over his last five outings. Since the All-Star break, he owns a 5.79 ERA, a stark contrast to the early-season dominance that once made him a Cy Young candidate.
Facing the Orioles in the series finale, Suárez managed to pitch into the seventh inning but was undone by a disastrous fourth. Baltimore tagged him for four runs in the frame, including a three-run shot by Coby Mayo on a poorly located changeup over the heart of the plate. Suárez’s fastball barely touched 90 mph on the radar gun, a noticeable dip from his usual low-90s range, raising more red flags.
Phillies starters looking fatigued in the second half
“Started off good,” Suárez said postgame. “Then just fell apart and the wheels fell off in the fourth. Just lost myself mechanically. It’s been a minute since I’ve been on the mound for some depth. But no excuses. It’s got to be better.”
The left-hander gave up nine hits and five runs over 6 1/3 innings. He didn’t issue a walk and struck out three, but allowed far too much contact — and not the weak kind he typically induces. He threw 86 pitches and exited after a one-out RBI single by Jackson Holliday in the seventh.
Meanwhile, Phillies skipper Rob Thomson didn’t point fingers, but acknowledged his team let chances slip. “We had opportunities. We just didn’t come through,” he said. The Phillies went just 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, squandering a three-hit afternoon from Trea Turner, who fell a home run shy of the cycle.
Suárez isn’t the only Phillies arm raising concern. Zack Wheeler, the club’s ace, has been pushed back from Friday to Sunday due to shoulder soreness. With Andrew Painter still working his way back from Tommy John surgery and no clear timeline for his debut, Philadelphia’s pitching depth will be tested on their upcoming 10-game road trip through Texas and Houston.
Suárez’s ability to succeed without overwhelming stuff has long been part of his charm, but as Bottalico put it, “There’s a fine line between finesse and fatigue — and right now, Suárez is teetering.”
