Ranger Suárez was doubled over.
A liner from Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers had just hit him flush on his left thigh. When he noticed the ball next to him on the ground, Suárez still managed to fire it over to first base before falling to the grass, though Jeffers beat the throw out easily.
Manager Rob Thomson and trainer Joe Rauch rushed out of the dugout to lift Suárez from the game right away. After he stood up, the Phillies lefty smiled and shared a laugh with Bryson Stott, and he was able to walk off under his own power.
But with one game remaining in the regular season, the Phillies had no reason to risk it.
Following Saturday’s 5-0 loss to Minnesota, the Phillies are officially out of contention for the top overall seed in the National League, finishing second to the Milwaukee Brewers. But even more important for the Phillies’ playoff outlook is Suárez’s health. The team noted that his bruised left inner thigh would be evaluated further.
Suárez had only pitched 4 ⅓ innings before that play and had given up nine hits — including a pair of solo homers — that put the Phillies in a 3-0 hole.
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The offense, meanwhile, struggled against familiar face Mick Abel. The right-hander made his major league debut with the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park in May, and eventually earned a spot in the starting rotation while Aaron Nola was on the injured list.
But after a string of tough outings, the Phillies optioned Abel to triple A, and eventually traded him along with catching prospect Eduardo Tait to Minnesota in exchange for closer Jhoan Duran.
Abel threw six scoreless against his former team in his best outing so far as a member of the Twins. He limited the Phillies to three hits and one walk. Abel struck out the side in the first inning, retiring Harrison Bader, Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper in order, and finished with nine total strikeouts.
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Max Lazar entered the game in emergency relief for Suárez. He pitched 2 ⅓ innings and allowed two more runs to score in the seventh on a solo home run and a walk followed by a double. Orion Kerkering, who has allowed an earned run in his last four appearances, came in with a runner on second. He struck out Royce Lewis on his sweeper to end the inning.
The Phillies put two runners on in the bottom of the ninth with singles from Harper and J.T. Realmuto, but Nick Castellanos struck out to end the game.