The Philadelphia Phillies took on a challenging matchup against the San Diego Padres on Wednesday. After a hard-fought battle, the Phillies fell 5-2. However, Philly's loss was overshadowed by star pitcher Ranger Suarez's dream night. Suarez was the true victor, considering the priceless gathering he had with his family.
After the game, Suarez was elated that his wife and two kids were able to see him pitch in person for the first time. Suarez's family lives in Venezuela but got visas and are with him in Philadelphia, per insight from NBC Philadelphia's John Clark.
Furthermore, Suarez said 2024 was the first Father's Day his family was able to spend with him. He and his wife went to elementary school and high school together. She and Suarez's kids plan to stay with him for the rest of the 2024 season.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson was happy Suarez's family finally got to see him play in person and are spending time with him.
“I'm very happy for him, that they're here. The first time they've been here to see him pitch. I'm really happy for him because I know he's happy,” Thomson said after the game.
Ranger Suarez's on-the-field success was just as strong as his enthusiasm to see his family. He finished the Phillies-Padres matchup having pitched six innings and amassed six holds. He also threw four strikeouts and had one earned run.
The 28-year-old left-hander has been electric for Philly through the first part of the season. Through 15 games, Suarez holds a 10-1 record and boasts a 1.75 ERA, along with 0.89 WHIP, all of which are first-place MLB rankings. In addition, he has totaled 95 strikeouts.
Philadelphia will continue to need Suarez's services given their high aspirations.
Phillies look to continue march on the NL East despite Padres loss
The Phillies finished the 2023 season as the ALCS runner-up after they lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks in seven games. Thus, Philly entered 2024 with a fire to improve. The club wants to advance to the World Series. So far, they are off to a strong start.
Philly possesses a 49-25 record, which places them first in the NL East standings. Star right fielder Bryce Harper believes the Phillies' depth sets them apart early in the season. He gave reporters deep insight after the team's June 8th victory over the New York Mets.
“I think the consistency we find on our team, 1 through 9, you know, just go up their…have a plan, have an approach. I thought we did a great job of that today, understanding what we needed to do. And our starting pitching, I said the other day, being able to have Ranger go out there and do his job… obviously he got hit in the hand the other day, so for him to come out and do that today was great. What a great start to the series,” Harper said, via MLB Network.
The Phillies are continuing their strong showing, and Harper is enjoying every moment of it.
“It's a lot of fun, man. I enjoy it. I enjoy the moment. I enjoy coming out here and repping Philadelphia, understanding what it's like to be a Phillie, and I love this team. I love this organization, so there's nothing like doing it in this uniform, on this stage, in front of a different country. Just a lot of fun,” Harper added.
All in all, Harper, Ranger Suarez, and the rest of Philly's contributors want to continue their march on the NL East with the season's midpoint approaching.
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