Suárez, Harper help Phillies beat Rockies with shutout victory

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ranger Suárez pitched a seven-hitter, Bryce Harper homered and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Colorado Rockies 5-0 on Tuesday night.

Suárez struck out eight and walked one in the majors' second complete game this season. It was the first shutout for a Philadelphia pitcher since Michael Lorenzen’s no-hitter against Washington on Aug. 9.

“Everything was working well today,” Suárez said through a translator.

Harper hit an RBI double in the sixth inning and a two-run shot in the eighth.

J.T. Realmuto also went deep for Philadelphia (10-8), which moved two games over .500 for the first time this season.

Suárez (3-0) threw 112 pitches, 79 for strikes, in his second career complete game. The left-hander retired Nolan Jones on a comebacker for the final out.

“He was getting quick outs, his stuff was really good, and his command was really good,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “We felt like he was going to get deep unless something crazy happened.”

Realmuto hugged Suárez, and Harper flipped the ball to the pitcher after the final out.

“He was on tonight," Colorado manager Bud Black said. "Really, really good.”

The Rockies dropped to 4-14 after they had a club-record 103 losses last season. They are 2-10 on the road after they had the worst road record in the majors last year at 22-59.

“We got a lot of guys cutting their teeth, just young players,” Black said. “They're seeing (Toronto's José) Berríos, (Philadelphia's Aaron) Nola and tonight Suárez. This is experience first-hand against major league pitching. Our guys will be better from it.”

Colorado has scored the first run just once this season. It has been outscored 25-4 in the first inning.

The trouble continued Tuesday night. Realmuto hit a two-run shot off Austin Gomber (0-1) in the first.

The game was played in a brisk 2 hours, 7 minutes on a beautiful, 72-degree evening.

Gomber was charged with three runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out four and walked none.

“Pitched well,” Black said. “He really did. He’s a pitcher we know will compete every day.”

The Rockies blew a chance to get on the board in the sixth. Alan Trejo advanced to third on Ryan McMahon's infield single, but Trejo went too far around the base and got caught in a rundown, ending the inning.

Colorado had more poor baserunning in the seventh when Elehuris Montero was thrown out at second for the final out while trying to stretch a single into a double.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: OF/INF Kris Bryant was not in the lineup for the third straight day after getting injured on Saturday in Toronto when crashed into the outfield wall to make a catch. ... Both 2B Brendan Rodgers and OF Jake Cave were out for a second straight game due to illness.

UP NEXT

RHP Ryan Feltner (1-1, 3.38 ERA) starts for Colorado against LHP Cristopher Sánchez (0-2, 3.52 ERA) in the finale of the three-game series on Wednesday night.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb