PHOENIX — Needing significant length from their starting pitcher after using the bullpen for 26 outs in Games 3 and 4, the Phillies had the man they'd want on the mound Saturday night in Game 5, ace Zack Wheeler, who has pitched well in eight of his nine playoff starts.
Wheeler shut the Diamondbacks down in Game 1 of the NLCS, retiring 15 in a row with eight strikeouts and only one ball leaving the infield after Corbin Carroll's leadoff single. The D-backs finally got to him in the sixth inning, but the Phillies had already built a five-run lead and they closed it out in a way they couldn't in Game 4.
After using so many relievers in their losses in Arizona, the Phillies will have Ranger Suarez available in relief Saturday night.
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"He is in the bullpen," manager Rob Thomson said pregame. "He's a legitimate option."
If Suarez does pitch in relief in Game 5, he is still in line to start a potential Game 7 in Philly. (Aaron Nola starts Game 6.) The Phillies would treat an inning of relief as Suarez' normal throw day in between starts.
The lefty, who owns a 0.94 playoff ERA, has been a hugely important piece to the Phillies' last two Octobers, pitching as a starter, setup man and closer. He recorded the final outs of the NLCS a year ago against San Diego.
Four different Phillies relievers — Craig Kimbrel, Orion Kerkering, Jose Alvarado and Jeff Hoffman — were used on back-to-back days leading into Game 5. Kimbrel and Kerkering are almost certainly unavailable for Game 5 — Kimbrel after throwing 45 high-stress pitches the last two nights, Kerkering after pitching back-to-back days for the first time in his career.
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"Everybody's come in, they've all said they're fine, good to go, which I expect, but there are certain guys I think you'd be putting at risk," Thomson said.
The Phils are hoping Wheeler carries them into the seventh inning Saturday night. A late-game bullpen mix would likely include Suarez, Seranthony Dominguez, Matt Strahm and Gregory Soto.
The Diamondbacks started Zac Gallen, who was tuned up by the Phillies in Game 1, allowing five runs and three homers over five innings. Gallen has been much better at home, however, with a 2.47 ERA compared to 4.42 on the road. It would be surprising if his location is as poor as it was to begin the series.