Ranger returns to form, Stott has a big night as Phillies win fifth straight | Phillies PGL

[Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] the Phillies Juggernaut continues in Miami five straight wins they won 15 out of 21 games it's better than 700 winning percentage so all of a sudden they're the Phillies that we were used to May June beginning of July Ricky balico Ben Davis on Michael Baran Ruben Amaro Jr to come in a moment as this is Philly's postgame live presented by Cure auto insurance most impressive thing to you about this win tonight they just went out there played they you know what Ranger I think battled himself a little bit and I thought and I thought he threw the ball well I think he mixed up his pitches extremely well um I wouldn't say it's it's the biggest thing that stuck out to me I thought I thought Bryson stot swung the bat EXT uh extremely well um but I mean these are the Phillies were patient their at bats were patient got some pitches to hit uh but these are the games you're supposed to win I know you you just blew this up like they're playing 700 baseball again no no no 700 in the past 21 games I'm not talking about the Marlin all right relax relax take a deep breath for crying out loud but but I'm just saying you're you're playing you're playing the Marlins you should beat up on this team you you know what I showed you the you you take a look at this batting order they should beat up on this ball club and and it's fine they did the job tonight you win the ball game that's what you take out of it it's a win you come back tomorrow you beat them again then you come back on Saturday you beat them again then on Sunday after you beat them again then you can come home mhm you relaxed am I relaxed I may not be right now I don't think you are but let's go across to bened Benny uh 5 through nine really got it done tonight six hits between those guys in the lineup five through nine and four RBI obviously stot and Clemens with some big nights but you're going to need that especially when the top isn't producing when kle SCH the only one at the top that had a hit with a double to ReSound double to to right field early on in that ball game uh but the bottom really coming through you'd love to see that the length of this line Cody Cody you like that like to play a third sorry let's go to Ruben Amaro Jr who is in Miami right now call tonight's game with Tom McCarthy there he is what's up buddy all right tell us your thoughts first on Rangers Suarez because we mentioned in the pregame program what had befallen him in his previous two starts where he gave up just one run looked great and then four not so much tonight he went back to himself again yeah I was a little concerned about just his durability because the last two two times out since he'd come back from that the back spasm is that he's you know sort of hit a wall somewhere um and has not been able to get too long that and then when he started off this game his velocities were down pretty considerably and so you know my light bulb kind of went off in my head a little bit like hey what's going on here but he did locate his stuff he made his pitches uh he was working that ball on the inside part of the plate on right-handers um and he mixed it up nicely and and I think his velocity and some of the life on some of his pitches got a little bit better as the game went on uh but did a nice job and I mean how about that Bullpen man I mean the bullpen continues to pitch extremely well um I think they only had one earned run that they G uh gave up two runs but one earned um just a nice job they're not walking people they're throwing strikes they're making guys swing the bat uh really love what Orion kirking is doing and uh that that that's that's really big for the Phillies to have that Bullpen clicking Ruben I mean the Phillies only had seven hits tonight they scored the five runs they did have six walks so we saw some patient at bats at least or at least some at bats with some pitches that weren't even close but I mean do is this the kind of game you kind of expect after a long flight I mean it almost it almost seems like they weren't quite fired up for this game exactly but they got the job done I mean listen they did get the job done and they played good solid baseball they had the one air obviously but um but I have to say that um it's hard and it sounds like a crazy excuse it's pretty dead in this ballpark I mean there's not a lot of people here there's more there probably more Philly fans uh behind uh uh our Dugout the Phillies Dugout um than than there were in the entire Ballpark and it's just you know it's one of those places where you sort of have to make your own energy and uh fortunately for the Phillies Ranger uh held them down uh for several Innings so that they can get they can make that put that crooked number up there but you know you got to get the big base hits it was great to see Cody Clemens come through again and Bryson stott's swinging the bat um more consistently now and came up with a big home run so um hey you got to win the ball games you got to play them and uh and and I know it's not the the best Marlins team there's no question about that but you got to get yourself fired up enough to win these ball games and they did the job Ruben I got to stick with my catchers JT Ro Muto one for3 on the night average up to 262 what are you seeing out of him that makes him a little bit more consistent right now at the dish I just love the way he's getting his foot down early and his path to the baseball um he's working you know really flat the one base hit he had to right field today um pretty impressive High fast ball gets his foot down and just kind of levels off on it uh um and you know when he's taking that kind of approach we've talked about we talk about it with a lot of our guys that when they're you using the middle of the field and driving the ball the other way um you know they're they're really good hitters and um and I can't say enough about JT and how he runs the game I know that uh you know Ranger did not have his best stuff especially early and kind of managed him through that and uh and he's just done I I think he's matured a lot B over the last uh few years even of um being able to call games and understand hitters and understand his pitchers and what they can and cannot do and I'm just really impressed by the way that he is developed as as a player he's not one of not only one of the most athletic but he's also now become one of the more cerebral catchers and uh that's been impressive uh for me Ruben you talked about manufacturing your own energy that's what the Phillies had to do they are now 84 56 they're tied with the Dodgers for the best record in baseball they are now seven and a half games up on the Atlanta Braves if the Braves lose to Colorado which looks like it could happen they're trailing 3 to one on the bottom of the ninth should that happen and the Phillies lead goes to eight games you ready for this one the Phils could play 500 ball for the remaining 20 uh 22 games of the season and the Braves would have to go 19 and three from here on out so let's not let's not kid each other uh they're going to win this thing uh almost assuredly what do they need to do though to keep manufacturing their own energy well I mean they just and this is what you know they take on the uh the personality of the manager in a lot of ways and this is what Rob Thompson talks about just win today's game concentrate on doing your job today and worry about all the other stuff don't don't worry about all that other stuff other than worried about winning this base Bas game today it was a little bit like how Charlie Manuel used to manage it and uh and and that works really well in baseball because it is a long season and you can't really think about what's going on what happened in your past 10 games and you can't think about what's going to happen in the next 10 games you got to you got to really concentrate on doing your job at hand the one that uh that you can control and uh right now I'm sure that they're PR prepping mentally for for tomorrow's game and how to deal with Cabrero who's pitch who's a very good pitcher tomorrow and and uh making sure that they play their best baseball behind Zack Wheeler that's how you do it Michael you you you concentrate on playing that game that day and then let everything else take care of itself I'll just worry about the remaining games in the last 10 games I I'll do all that for him all right buddy you do the worrying I'll do the worrying thanks so much my friend check you tomorrow Ruben tomorrow Jun in the booth see you later in Miami look at this best record in the National records in the national league Ben and Ricky 84 and 56 the Phillies tied with the Dodgers the top the NL Brewers three games back Padres Etc top two division winners receive buys right to the nlds that's important you want to get that and not have to play earlier than necessary the Phillies are sitting pretty there yeah one two will be beautiful there there's that one team you still got to worry about below you is the is the Brewers you have a head-to-head matchup coming up with them uh in in the middle middle of this month so that's that's one series you got to kind of keep one eye open to and I mean this is something that's going to keep the Phillies uh competitive juices flowing throughout the whole time because if the Dodgers are right there you're still going to want to take take down the Dodgers as much as you Pro possibly can and if it takes you to the last game of the season then so be it you're not going to sit back and say okay I just want you know oh c can we just we'll take second or third no you want that number one seed you want to be the home home field advantage so so you don't have in a manner of speaking you don't have your eyee on the division you have your eye on the entire National League the division's a foregone conclusion without a doubt the whole kitten cab just lost by the way yeah you got to keep your eye on the prize and and now it's what down to 15 games is the magic number for the Phils down 15 with the Braves losing uh 3 to one tonight to the Rockies yeah I I think ultimately you want to have these guys are very prideful in what they do and and they they're fierce competitors they're I always talk about their professionalism but this is a team I think that really are looking for that top spot and they they want to make sure they go out and get it and get that first round by obviously and then also you know hopefully get some uh home field advantage throughout the playoffs that would be fantastic here do you consider him back if you will bet no no Ben says no no I I think you I'm still going to see a little bit more V you look at the the pitches thrown 82 just 48 strikes very un Ranger like but the walks can't do that you can't walk guys in two tonight in the five innings but it it a little worrisome I'll be honest with you and not that velocity is everything but he was able to locate you talked about that curveball Hew curveball 24% of the time tonight he was kind of falling he threw a couple at 70 so you talking about a 70 mph curveball at times and 90 M hour fast ball but uh the fast ball it it does concern me a little bit because it should cuz when you're throwing 93 to 95 you can get away with that one in the middle of the plate every now and again but when you're throwing 90 you can't get away with that pitch in the middle of the so so you have to be perfect is this diminishing returns or do you think next next start he's going to be okay I I you don't know you really don't know I I don't know look he had that back issue and he did a little one of these you know uh and and and the the one thing about that is when do you get back to normal do you get back to normal this year that it's it's a it's a question that we're just going to keep answering from from game to game I look at this game tonight and I said okay Ranger is a pitcher he knows how to pitch that's all all I'm taking out of this one am I happy with his velocity the answer would be absolutely not was his curveball really good yeah it was pretty good was his change up good yes his location was good at times but I mean like Ben said I mean his ball his his balls to strike ratio not good enough all right let's take a look at the National League East standings the Braves lose tonight to Colorado so the Phillies lead goes to eight games and as mentioned a few moments ago the remaining 22 games if the Phillies go 11 and 11 the Braves which is 500 baseball you know they're going to do way better than that the Braves would have to go 19 and three to force a tie for the division oh is that all that's it Braves are done so the Phillies magic number to clinch is Wow you went there Philly's eye on the good luck is the Los Angeles Dodgers and that top record in baseball they are tied at top the NL with the Dodgers Dodgers idle tonight here's manager Rob Thompson on this win what you think of Ranger it was good vo was down a little bit tonight but he pitched and him and Wheeler and Nola and even well San's had his wheel all year but those guys they know how to pitch and they know how when they don't have their good fast ball how to change speeds and get chases and uh but I thought his stuff was really good seemed like he got a lot of Swing Miss with the curveball the change up kind of did he pitch backwards a little bit a little bit you know and I think he used more of his secondary pitches than he normally does just because he didn't have the V so uh he's smart he knows he knows what he's doing out there did you uh consider leaving him in for more than 82 pitches or you still trying to our limit was yeah our limit was 90 so I didn't want to send him out for one hitter and um I felt like he was he was good right there and we can probably go to 95 almost 100 next time out so uh he did a job and Bullpen did a nice job we um a couple unfortunate things that happen you know the ball gets stuck in st's Clove and um you know clemon set his feet kind of threw on the run and ball popped out of his hand but they they all threw well he's he's not a high V guy anyway but I mean is is he still building that back is that uh Ranger yeah I think so and I think you're going to see a little bit I hate the terminology but a little bit of dead arm you know coming out of this thing no Rehab start and he's kind of building at this level and sometimes that's tough but but he knows how to pitch with Scott how much do you like what you seen from him offensively yeah his his at bats lately have been really good he's he's keeping the ball low to left and really grinding at bats um and then you know every once in a while he'll he'll catch one out front and hit it high to right so uh it's nice to see him hit the ball at ballpark um he's he's been really solid for us you see from their starter Adam all he's got pretty good stuff you know the the both breaking balls are pretty good and the fast Ball's got some carry to it um yeah he he was fine and he's I know he's been pitching pretty well for him going back to Ranger for just a second um considering how his last star was where he pitched so well for two innings and then lost it so quickly not the lost confidence in him but were you kind of interested to see what he would give you tonight yeah I was and and um you know like I said the V wasn't normal um but he really pitched I thought he he pitched better tonight than he did the last time so we're making progress I know that so if you if you had a nitpick this game because they did win 5 to2 what would you have liked to see aside from you didn't score 10 runs I mean that's the only thing I I mean I I thought I thought you know you get walked six times in a game you only had seven hits not a lot of clutch hits in the game but you win a game 5 to2 and it was a yor come on let's face it this game was a yor it wasn't one of those games where we were jumping up and down the whole time you really it was very yes Tom leag thought it was exciting too t what's up buddy but let me let me tell you if if I'm if I'm watching this team I'm thinking all right let's destroy them tomorrow because I think you have to get that out of your heads that you're playing in the dungeon with nobody there and then once that's out of your heads you just play a baseball game all right let's go down to Miami once again here's Rangers Suarez on his outing tonight you certainly got a lot of swinging Miss with your breaking stuff um was that kind of fight design yeah I tried uh my break breing balls today and they were working uh they were get uh we were getting the results that we wanted so why stop throwing them if they're working we just keep throwing them and make them do things happen make happen because of how your last start ended were you uh excited to get out there today and kind of get that behind you [Music] that's why we work all those days before getting back on the mound that's to leave the bad starts behind and create new things and better things and make them happen when we go out and and start again your V was a little bit down today was there a reason behind that or just normal working back from injury no uh obviously you're not always 100% with your velocity so that's what I had today I worked with it and it worked well and uh luckily and with that we we had the results that we wanted for you what what does it say about kind of your experience and kind of your your understanding of the game that you're able to to navigate that and lean on those secondary pitches more [Music] I mean the experience that we get season after season year after year uh tells us how to pitch whenever we're not 100% with our velocities in the game and that's uh obviously you always want to have that 100% of of your yourself of your velocity behind you but unfortunately that's just not going to happen every single outing I mean we're human we're people so that's what that's what I had today and uh I'm glad it worked out uh it went great and uh we got the results from a stamina standpoint you know 72 pitches 78 82 you feel like you're where you want to be with maybe three or four more starts left [Music] yeah the plan was to go 90 pitches I think I pitch 83 through the fifth inning and I felt good I think we were headed towards a great Direction it was a radically different lineup today than he's probably faced this lineup before any different approach when it comes to that yeah obviously we watch we watch many things and we we valuate things so we watch video on how to approach hitters and that's what I did today and uh you know just watching a little bit checking the data and see how we could go after that