Ranger Suárez sharp over five innings as Phillies beat Marlins for fifth consecutive victory

MIAMI — Lop off another number from the countdown to the Phillies’ first division title since 2011. But two digits were even more significant Thursday night:

— Five, as in the innings pitched by Ranger Suárez.

— Zero, as in the runs allowed by the lefty.

Because the Phillies’ chances of winning the World Series — the only goal that really matters after near-misses in back-to-back Octobers — rests with the starting rotation. And Suárez has the ability to separate them from all other contenders.

It was encouraging, then, that Suárez overcame occasionally spotty command and a dip in velocity by mixing five pitches like a blender to put the last-place Marlins to sleep, 5-2, before only 9,355 paying customers in South Florida.

The Phillies appear to have their groove back. They won their fifth consecutive game — and for the 10th time in 12 games — and cut their magic number to win the NL East to 15, with the Braves losing at home against the Rockies.

Suárez was making his third start since coming back from a monthlong stay on the injured list. He threw 82 pitches, a modest increase from 72 and 78 in his previous two starts against the Royals and Braves. With at least three, maybe four more starts remaining, there’s time to get him closer to 100 pitches before the end of the regular season.

But the Phillies don’t need Suárez to dominate in October, as he did in the first half of the season. They’ll take his reliability and coolly making pitches, like the dirt-diving curveball to strike out Jake Burger with two runners on base in the third inning.

Credit Bryson Stott with stirring an offense that was otherwise inefficient (3 for 11 with runners in scoring position). Stott singled home a run in the first inning, then launched a solo homer to the upper deck in right field to jump-start a four-run uprising in the sixth inning.

It was Suárez, though, who set the tone. He used his sinker to get soft contact, mostly on the ground. He got swings and misses with his curveball and change-up. And he fielded his position, as usual, erasing a leadoff walk in the fourth inning by picking Jonah Bride off first base and bouncing off the mound to glove Cristian Pache’s tapper in the fifth.

José Ruiz was warming in the bullpen even before the Phillies’ four-run outburst in the sixth inning. Max Lazar gave up one run in the seventh, and fill-in third baseman Kody Clemens made a throwing error to allow a run to score in the eighth.

The Phillies had chances to break open the game against Marlins starter Adam Oller. But they insisted on bailing out the 29-year-old righty — until the sixth inning, at least.

Oller issued back-to-back walks with one out in the first inning, and the Phillies pushed across only one run on a two-out single by Stott. They wasted Kyle Schwarber’s leadoff double in the third inning and loaded the bases in the fifth before Johan Rojas rolled into a double play.

The dam finally burst in the sixth. After Stott’s one-out solo homer, J.T. Realmuto walked and Brandon Marsh singled to knock out Oller. Kody Clemens knocked a two-run double and Rojas singled against reliever Anthony Veneziano, who let in another run on a wild pitch.