The Philadelphia Phillies have their backs to the wall after putting forth an inept effort in a devastating 7-2 loss in Game 3 of the NLDS on Tuesday. They trail 2-1 in the best-of-five series against the New York Mets and will possibly play their final game of the 2024 season on Wednesday at Citi Field.
Who are the Phillies sending to the mound in Game 4 to try to save their season?
Manager Rob Thomson announced on Monday’s day off that Ranger Suárez would be his starting pitcher on Wednesday, regardless of Game 3’s outcome. Obviously, at the time, Thomson was hopeful that his team would be up two games to one, instead of facing elimination, with a bit of breathing room for the Game 4 start.
Suárez, who faced some immense struggles down the stretch, offered some hope with his comments to the media on Tuesday afternoon, per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.
But is that enough to satisfy a fanbase growing increasingly agitated by the prospect of heading into the offseason much, much earlier than expected?
Starting Zack Wheeler in Game 4 is Phillies' last-ditch option to save their season
Thomson and the Phillies have one last-ditch drastic move they can, and should, make to save their season. Zack Wheeler, who last pitched on Saturday in Game 1, is the obvious choice even on short rest. As of now, he’s lined up to start in Game 5 on Friday. The problem is that there very well could not be a Game 5 for him to pitch in.
Pitching on short rest in the postseason isn't unheard of for stud starting pitchers who know they are their team's best hope in dire situations. That's what Wheeler is to this Phillies team that finds itself staring down the barrel at a long winter. In this case, he would be going on three days rest, not the customary four.
During his postgame press conference, Thomson confirmed that Wheeler would be available out of the bullpen in Game 4.
"I think everybody's available tomorrow," Thomson confirmed to the gathered media.
However, with the season on the line, the Phillies seem content to hand the ball to Suárez despite how much he struggled in the second half. They're leaning on his previous postseason numbers, which speak for themselves. In two playoff runs with the Phillies, he has a 3-1 record in nine games (seven starts) with a 1.62 ERA and 0.90 WHIP in 33 1/3 innings.
After pitching to a 7.79 ERA over his final four starts of the season, including a disastrous two-inning affair in his season finale, the left-hander won't inspire much confidence among the faithful heading into Wednesday's Game 4.
It would be a shame to watch this promising Phillies season go down in flames based on the "hope" that Suárez will figure it out while Wheeler sits in the bullpen.