Spencer Turnbull stepped in for Ranger Suárez, who got injured, and struck out six batters in three innings without letting any score in. Bryce Harper hit a home run, helping the Philadelphia Phillies win their eighth consecutive home game with a 6-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday night.
Suárez had to leave the game in the second inning after being hit on the hand by a hard-hit line drive. X-rays showed no serious injury, and Suárez expressed gratitude for his well-being.
“I’m relieved that everything is okay,” Suárez said through an interpreter. “I have to thank God for this.” He mentioned that the ball hit the meatier part of his thumb, causing inflammation. He’ll wait a couple of days to see if he can pitch in the next game.
“I’m glad to hear that he’s alright, and I hope he gets better soon,” Harper commented. Alec Bohm contributed with two runs batted in for the Phillies, who currently hold the best record in the majors at 41-18.
Suárez tried to continue after the hit but realized it was impossible. He joked about needing to improve his pitches to avoid such incidents in the future.
Suárez had been performing exceptionally well, ranking high in several pitching statistics in the National League. “Ranger has been our go-to pitcher,” Harper added.
Masyn Winn drove in the only run for the Cardinals. Philadelphia, with another sellout crowd of 44,668 fans, aims for its third consecutive three-game home series sweep on Sunday night. “Playing in this stadium is an unmatched experience,” Harper remarked.
Turnbull (3-0), who began the season in the rotation due to Taijuan Walker’s injury, didn’t allow any hits and retired nine out of ten batters, with one reaching base on an error.
