Ranger Suarez, Phillies take on new-look Pirates

Left-hander Ranger Suarez will try to build on what manager Rob Thomson called a “fantastic” start when he takes the mound Friday night against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates in the opener of a three-game series.

An All-Star last season, Suarez (1-0, 5.91 ERA) began the season on the injured list with a stiff back. He struggled in his first start on May 4 against Arizona, allowing seven runs on seven hits over 3 2/3 innings with two walks and six strikeouts.

He then bounced back in fine fashion Saturday at Cleveland, allowing just three hits and a walk over seven scoreless innings while striking out five in a 7-1 victory.

It marked the first time that Suarez had gone more than six innings since June 14 last season, when he tossed 6 2/3 innings in an eventual Phillies victory against the Baltimore Orioles.

“He was fantastic,” Thomson said.

Suarez is 3-0 with a 1.80 ERA in seven career appearances (four starts) against the Pirates.

The Phillies enter off a split of a doubleheader with the red-hot St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday. They snapped the Cardinals’ nine-game winning streak with a 2-1 victory in the opener but fell 14-7 in the nightcap.

Jesus Luzardo gave up one run over seven innings and Bryce Harper had two hits with the game-winning RBI in the opener, which also saw Jordan Romano strike out the side during a perfect ninth to earn his fourth save.

Romano, who had a 13.50 ERA after his first 11 appearances after signing a one-year, $8.5-million free-agent deal in December, hasn’t allowed a run in any of his last six appearances.

“It feels good when you’re contributing to wins,” Romano said, according to MLB.com. “I’m just kind of feeling more like myself out there, not pressing as much, just kind of being me.”

Pittsburgh earned a 4-0 road win over the National League East-leading New York Mets on Wednesday to improve to 3-3 under new manager Don Kelly. The Pirates played five straight one-run games before Wednesday’s win, taking two out of three from the Atlanta Braves before dropping 4-3 and 2-1 decisions to the Mets.

“The first two games of the series we were right there, and I hope guys take confidence in that,” Kelly said. “We were with them in all three games and won this one, and had a chance in the other two, and take that down to Philly and do the same thing down there.”

Veteran left-hander Andrew Heaney (2-3, 3.15 ERA) gets the start Friday for the Pirates. He is 0-2 with an 8.64 ERA in two career starts against the Phillies.

Pittsburgh received two-run homers from Matt Gorski and Jared Triolo in Wednesday’s victory. It marked just the second time in 11 games that the Pirates scored more than three runs.

“Everybody has kind of been swinging well,” Triolo said. “I think we feel we’re at the edge of turning over something here. So, I think the momentum’s there and we’re pretty excited.”

–Field Level Media