J.T. Realmuto hit two three-run home runs and Ranger Suárez pitched five strong innings in his return from the injured list to lead the Philadelphia Phillies to an 11-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.
Realmuto, who drove in a career-high seven RBIs, had his first multi-home run game since September 14, 2022.
“The first three-run homer, everybody exhaled at that point,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “Seven RBIs in one game is pretty impressive.” After a couple of Royals’ defensive mistakes put runners at the corners to start the sixth inning, Realmuto hit Brady Singer’s 3-0 pitch over the left-field bullpen for a 5-1 lead.
“In that situation, with runners in scoring position, I’m looking for one pitch, one location and trying not to miss it,” Realmuto said.
“I got it inside, just trying to get back in the count,” Singer said. “He made a good swing on it.”
Realmuto also hit a 424-foot home run into the fountains in left-center during a five-run eighth inning and added an RBI grounder in the ninth.
Activated from the 15-day injured list to make his first start since July 22, Suárez gave up one run on four hits and a walk while striking out six for his first win since June 8.
“Looked like he didn’t miss really a beat,” Realmuto said. “Command of the strike zone, great. Got ahead of guys, was able to throw swing-and-miss pitches when he needed it. He’s a calming presence in this clubhouse when we know he’s on the mound.”
Thomson called Suárez’s performance “Tremendous.”
“First-pitch strikes, outstanding,” he said. “Efficient. A lot of soft contact. Kept them off balance. He was super.”
After allowing a double in the first inning, Suárez faced the minimum until Michael Massey’s double in the fifth inning. Freddy Fermin followed with an RBI hit to right before Suárez struck out two to end the inning.
