The Philadelphia Phillies and the Boston Red Sox are both fighting to save their seasons. Things have been so bad at the start of the season for both teams that they fired long-time managers, Alex Cora in Boston, and Rob Thomson in Philadelphia, before May. Now, both teams are well below .500. Heading into Thursday, the Red Sox are 18-24, while the Phillies are not much better at 20-23. With the series tied at 1-1, the winner of it will definitely get much-needed momentum.

However, there’s one more reason this series will attract all eyes: Ranger Suarez. After spending seven years with the Phillies, Suarez is set to play against them for the first time, and his former clubhouse can’t stop craving it.

“He was an absolute animal on the pitcher’s mound,” Bryce Harper said. “Like he went out there and did his job every fifth day, and those other four days, he had an absolute blast.”

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Well, Suarez is a silent killer. You might not have seen him being expressive at the mound, even at the worst moments. But he knows his job, and he does it silently.

“He’s probably one of the most, if not the most, calm guys on the mound I’ve ever seen. Nothing fazes him,” Aaron Nola added.

Suarez is a master of precision, movement, and deception rather than raw power. He throws six different pitches to keep batters guessing, making him incredibly frustrating to face.

Remember 2022 NLCS Game 5. Harper had that iconic go-ahead home run against the Padres. But the Phillies bullpen ran into trouble in the ninth inning. With two runners on base, manager Rob Thomson called on Suarez to secure the final outs. He entered the mound and showed the best of his composure. He threw just two pitches to generate a bunt pop-out and a flyout, instantly punching the Phillies’ ticket to the World Series.

Now that the Red Sox landed him this year for $130 million, Suarez will return from his IL to the Red Sox rotation against the Phillies on Thursday.

The Phillies’ lineup, comprising Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and Alec Bohm, will be challenged by Suarez’s diverse six-pitch Arsenal. He throws a sinker, four-seamer, cutter, changeup, curveball, and slider. “If there’s one guy on my team that I want on the mound in that moment, it’s him,” Harper knows what it means to have Suarez on the team.

Suarez was equally dominant with the Red Sox this year. Last month against the Blue Jays, he carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and finished with a masterful 8.0 shutout innings, allowing just one hit and one walk while racking up a season-high 10 strikeouts. Let’s now see how he goes against his former team on Thursday.

Considering how the Phillies’ offense is struggling, Suarez might have an easy route out there.

The Phillies’ offense has a huge job against Suarez

The Phillies have been performing much better since Rob Thomson’s departure. Entering Tuesday against the Red Sox, they had a 10-3 record and were averaging 5.23 runs per game. But nothing worked against the Red Sox pitchers.

In the first two games of the series, the Phillies could only manage four runs from eight hits. This was their lowest run total since April 19. The Red Sox’s starters, like Sonny Gray, Brayan Bello, and their relievers, all looked dominant against the Phillies. Even their hitting leader, Kyle Schwarber’s five-game home run streak, was snapped.

Now, as Suarez will start the next game for the Red Sox, the Phillies’ offense needs to perform beyond extraordinary to make a comeback.

The Phillies are currently ranked 23rd in terms of average (.232) and 26th in terms of total runs scored (173). Apart from Brandon Marsh, no one is hitting above .300. Thus, against Ranger Suarez, the job is tough for the Phillies’ offense. But hopefully the matchup will be competitive enough for the fans.