Philly Leader

Ranger Suárez, a seasoned pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies, has shown resilience throughout his career. Despite concerns about his reduced velocity in a recent spring debut, Suárez remained unfazed. His performance on Sunday against the Orioles demonstrated an improvement, with his fastball reaching 92.4 mph and his sinker topping out at 91.9 mph.

"As I said before, last start was my first one, so as you move on from that and keep working, you gain more strength in your arm," Suárez stated through team interpreter Diego D'Aniello. "I'll just get stronger, so I wasn't worried about that."

Suárez's consistent performance over the past four years has not relied heavily on high velocity. In Sunday's game, he effectively controlled the strike zone and limited hard contact. He threw 27 of his 38 pitches for strikes and did not allow any walks while striking out two batters.

"It went well," Suárez commented. "I located every pitch that I wanted, I threw every pitch that I wanted and located it in the strike zone wherever I wanted, too. Overall, I felt really good today."

A run scored against Suárez could have been avoided if not for a defensive lapse by Kyle Schwarber in left field. Manager Thomson plans to use Schwarber strategically when other regulars need a day off from designated hitting duties.

Thomson mentioned, “He looked fine; moved around fine. Just get him out there, get him on his feet,” adding that Schwarber might play first base during an upcoming game against New York.

Suárez remains confident in his abilities despite last season's challenges. “I never lost confidence in myself,” he expressed. “As in every sport, baseball has its highs and lows, so I think it was just a part of that.”