NEW YORK – The Phillies' starting pitcher for Game 4 of the National League Division Series had a 6.54 earned-run average in his last 11 regular-season starts. He gave up at least two runs in all but one. He only managed to complete six innings once.

Opponents batted .315 against him with an OPS of .885. He battled back pain that forced him to miss a start and then go on the injured list.

Their starter for Game 4 at Citi Field will play a crucial role in determining whether this team's dream of the World Series-or-bust stays alive or is forever remembered as a crushing disappointment, a season that was much too died early.

The Phillies, down two games to one in the best-of-five series after Tuesday's 7-2 loss to the Mets, will be ignominiously eliminated unless they win on Wednesday and force one on Friday Decisive Game 5 in their Citizens Bank Park Friendlies.

If the above stats were from an average, run-of-the-mill No. 4 starter, their prospects would be bleak indeed. Especially against red-hot Mets left-hander Jose Quintana. And maybe they do it anyway.

The thing is: The Phillies will give the ball to lefty Ranger Suarez. And as unsightly as his numbers have been lately, that fact puts the situation in a slightly different light.

Before everything got completely out of hand, he was 10-1, 1.75. Maybe the best starter in baseball. Reached the All-Star team. At the age of 28, he seemed to be on the verge of reaching his peak. As a bonus, he has a 3-1, 1.62 record in nine postseason appearances.

When Rob Thomson was asked in Tuesday's pregame interview what gave him the most confidence that he was up to the task, he hung his fedora on the way Suarez threw him at an empty CBP during a scrimmage a week ago had.

“He was really good in two innings,” the manager said. “I know it's just an intrasquad game, but the speed was up again. The command was really good. I haven't seen the command like that since he came back from the injury.

“I also think his calmness helps him a lot and that gives me confidence.”

Hope is thin soup, and believing that a few practice innings will outweigh weeks of struggles may seem like a stretch. But Suarez has a track record of success, and besides, the Phillies really don't have a choice. The only option would be to send top player Zack Wheeler back on short rest, something he hasn't done all year, and also make him unavailable for Game 5 if necessary.

“We have been working on a lot of things,” Suarez said in the interview room through translator Diego D’Aniello. “Basically my mechanics. My final adjustment came during the intrasquad game. I think we did a really good job there. I made a few throws and felt good. And I think I'll have that feeling instead (Wednesday).

“What happens in September stays in September. It's time to turn the page. I just forgot about it. It's October now, so the atmosphere is different, a different mood. I feel good physically and I’m thinking about that now.”

The adjustment was mechanical, particularly the placement of his legs. “That helped me a lot, especially because I had a little more life behind my ball and behind my pitches,” he said. “I think the work will help me with that and also just help me build strength and endurance during the game.”

Quintana, on the other hand, finished the game just as well as Suarez. He had a 0.74 ERA in his final six regular-season starts and then pitched six shutout innings in the Wild Card Series against the Brewers.

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