PHILADELPHIA — The amount of records Ranger Suárez has either surpassed or tied to this point is dizzying, and on Tuesday night, he added another to the list: His second career 10-strikeout game. The last time he struck out 10 batters was Sept. 10, 2023 in Miami. Doing it against the Rangers, a team that has a below-average strikeout rate, is notable.

Suárez was his typical stoic self on Tuesday, in a 5-2 Phillies win over Texas. He struck out five of the first seven batters he faced, and struck out three-time Silver Slugger Award-winner Corey Seager three times, but was unfazed. As he walked off the field in the seventh inning, after allowing one earned run on five hits, with two walks, he received an ovation.

Suárez didn’t smile, or wave. He drew a cross on his jersey, pointed to the sky, and calmly walked to the dugout. He now has a 1.36 ERA, which, according to ESPN, is the third-lowest mark for a Phillies pitcher through their 10th start in franchise history, but you wouldn’t know it by how he acts.

The Rangers are dealing with their fair share of injuries right now, but they are still the reigning World Series champions. On Tuesday, they had their ace on the mound in Jon Gray, who entered the game with a 2.08 ERA. Regardless, the Phillies did a good job of grinding out at-bats against Gray — collecting two earned runs on four hits with three walks — and piled on later, against the Rangers’ bullpen.

Bryce Harper had a particularly good night. He walked in the first, doubled in the fourth, and hit a towering home run to center field in the sixth, marking his 11th homer of the season. J.T. Realmuto extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the fifth, and finished his night 2 for 4.

Kyle Schwarber got the Phillies on the board in the third inning with an RBI single. Alec Bohm piled on with an RBI single in the fourth and another in the eighth on a double, raising his RBI total to 44 on the season, which ranks tied for first in MLB. Harper’s home run in the sixth gave the Phillies a 3-1 lead, Bohm’s RBI double in the eighth put them ahead, 4-2, and Bryson Stott hit a sacrifice fly to give the Phillies an extra insurance run, at 5-2.

The bullpen did a good job of keeping it close. Jeff Hoffman struggled in the eighth, allowing a solo home run to Corey Seager, but Matt Strahm entered in relief, with two outs and runners on first and second, forced a Nathaniel Lowe line out to end the inning.

Birthday boy José Alvarado earned the save, allowing one hit with two strikeouts in the ninth. The Phillies have now won 14 of their last 15 series openers.

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