Suarez shuts down Braves, Phils win series opener after Harper's early exit

Suarez shuts down Braves, Phils win series opener after Harper's early exit originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies got right back to winning ways Tuesday night at Citizens Bank Park. 

Two days after having their nine-game winning streak snapped by the Athletics, the Phils opened a six-game homestand with a 2-0 victory over the Braves. 

The 35-19 Phillies will go for a series win over the 25-28 Braves on Wednesday night. 

Ranger Suarez shut down Atlanta and gave the Phillies a second consecutive scoreless start. He tossed six innings and allowed four hits and three walks. The 29-year-old lefty notched a season-high eight strikeouts. 

After beginning last season 9-0, Suarez is 4-0 in 2025 with a 2.97 ERA. 

The Phillies had a concerning bottom of the first. 

Braves starter Spencer Strider hit Bryce Harper with a 95.3 mph fastball and the Phillies’ first baseman exited in clear pain. The team later announced that Harper was diagnosed with a right elbow contusion and X-rays on him were negative. 

The Phils jumped in front in the second inning. Max Kepler lined a double to right-center and Alec Bohm sprinted in from first.

From there, both Suarez and Strider were very effective. The Phillies didn’t manage a second hit until Nick Castellanos’ opposite-field knock against Enyel De Los Santos in the sixth inning. 

Michael Harris II led off the fifth with a bloop single to shallow center and the Braves eventually loaded the bases. Suarez worked gutsily around the trouble, getting Matt Olson to whiff on a 2-2 high heater. He shrugged off a leadoff hit in the sixth, too. 

Out of the bullpen, the Phillies turned to Orion Kerkering, Matt Strahm and Jordan Romano. All three did their jobs well.

The Phillies summoned a two-out rally in the eighth inning, capitalizing on Daysbel Hernandez’s erratic control and providing Romano an insurance run. Bohm scored his (and the Phillies’) second run when J.T. Realmuto walked with the bases loaded.

Nola talks lingering injury 

A few hours before first pitch, Aaron Nola stopped just short of the Phillies’ dugout steps and discussed his right ankle sprain with reporters. 

Nola threw what Phillies manager Rob Thomson called a “touch and feel” bullpen session Tuesday — lower intensity and lower volume than a usual bullpen, but Nola’s first time on the mound since being placed on the 15-day injured list. 

Nola said he continued to feel “a little bit” of discomfort with “certain movements.” Though he hopes to ramp up further Thursday, Nola said he thinks he’ll “probably” need a rehab assignment before returning. 

“Just taking it day by day right now and then hopefully, Thursday I feel good when I get on the mound,” he said. 

Realmuto’s ‘got to play through it’ 

Thomson dropped Realmuto to eighth in the Phillies’ lineup and bumped Bohm up to fifth. 

“J.T.’s trying a bunch of different stuff,” Thomson said pregame. “He’s working hard to maybe limit his leg kick a little bit … just get the timing better. So I just want to take a little pressure off him, move him down a little bit.” 

With an 0-for-3 game, Realmuto’s season average is at .228. He went 2 for 14 and struck out six times in the Phillies’ series against the A’s. 

Thomson indicated he doesn’t plan to increase Realmuto’s rest days. 

“He’s got to play through it because he’s so important behind the plate to us and to our pitching staff,” he said. “(Rafael) Marchan does a great job as well, but J.T., he’s the captain out there. … I want him out there as much as we can.”