The Philadelphia Phillies already have clinched their fourth straight road series win, and they can earn a sweep against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday afternoon.
Philadelphia will send left-hander Ranger Suarez (2-0, 5.09 ERA) against Colorado right-hander German Marquez (1-6, 8.78) to wrap up the four-game series in Denver.
The Phillies have won the first three games, including 9-5 on Wednesday night, their sixth consecutive victory overall. Philadelphia has won five games in a row on the road and 10 of its past 11 away from home to move into first place in the National League East.
Suarez will try to extend the road success in his fourth start of the season. He missed the first five weeks while dealing with a back injury and was hit hard in his 2025 debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 4, allowing seven runs in 3 2/3 innings of his team’s 11-9 loss. His past two outings were much better.
Suarez threw seven shutout innings against the Cleveland Guardians on May 10, then delivered seven innings of three-run ball against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, winning both starts. In six career outings (five starts) against Colorado, he is 2-1 with a 2.91 ERA.
If Suarez can get the same run support the Phillies’ other starters have received in this series, he won’t need to be at his best. Philadelphia has 25 runs and 46 hits in three games against Colorado, and Kyle Schwarber has set the pace.
The designated hitter homered in the first two games of the series, then walked twice and scored twice Wednesday. He is tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani for the major league lead with 17 homers.
“I see him now as a complete hitter,” Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson said. “He has big-time power, but he’s been really impressive overall.”
Colorado continues to struggle nearly two months into the season. The Rockies have lost four games in a row and are 1-8 since interim manager Warren Schaeffer took over for the fired Bud Black. Their starting pitchers have just four of the team’s eight wins this season, with Marquez getting the latest victory on May 11 against the San Diego Padres, 9-3.
Thursday will be his 10th start of the season, which doubles his total from the previous two years combined. It also will be his second outing against the Phillies in 2025; he threw six shutout innings at Philadelphia on March 31.
In nine career starts against the Phillies, Marquez is 3-2 with a 3.31 ERA.
Colorado hasn’t had much to celebrate while compiling a historically bad 8-41 record, but Brenton Doyle has started to heat up at the plate. The center fielder hit .138 from April 16 through Monday, then went 1-for-2 with a double, two walks and a stolen base on Tuesday.
He added a single and a walk on Wednesday as he is attempts to recapture the 2024 form that led him to 23 home runs and a .260 batting average.
Doyle has a long road to meet those totals this year — he has four homers and is hitting .211 — but he is encouraged by his latest performances.
“I’ve been working pretty hard, trying to get back to where I was last year,” Doyle said. “The past couple days have been pretty good.”
–Field Level Media
