Ranger Suarez goes 8 scoreless in second straight excellent start
Boston Red Sox
Suarez seems to be settling into his new uniform after a rough first few starts in Boston.
The Red Sox’ plan entering the 2026 season was clear: run prevention was going to be key if this year’s team wanted to be competitive and win games.
It hasn’t consistently worked out yet. All five starters have had rough goes and lost Boston games, including newcomer Ranger Suarez.
Suarez failed to finish the fifth inning in his first three starts with his new club, leading to early concerns amongst fans about the five-year, $130 million deal he inked with the Red Sox over the winter.
But his last two starts have epitomized Boston’s run prevention strategy, especially his most recent outing Friday against the visiting Detroit Tigers. Not only that, but his potential value across the contract’s lifetime is beginning to show.
Suarez, 30, tossed eight shutout innings in what ended up being a pitching duel at Fenway Park, resulting in a 1-0 extra-inning walk-off victory for Boston. The left-hander allowed just two hits (both in the first inning) and one walk, striking out four and recording as many swings-and-misses along the way. He threw 93 pitches, 55 being strikes.
Suarez received a no-decision despite his exceptional effort.
After the game, Suarez said that finding a good tempo on the mound has led to his recent success.
“I think the rhythm, the rhythm I’ve been having the last two starts has helped me to locate my pitches,” Suarez said via an interpreter (via the Boston Herald’s Mac Cerullo). “I think that’s a big part of it.”
Coming off a six-inning scoreless start at the St. Louis Cardinals last weekend, his best outing to date, whether or not Suarez would be able to replicate it was a real question. Was that start just a fluke?
It was not.
Suarez entered Friday’s game with a 5.02 ERA and left the contest with a 3.22 mark. He also lowered his WHIP from 1.47 to 1.07. Retiring 13 straight batters Friday and not allowing a run in his last 14 innings pitched helped immensely in getting those numbers down.
For a Red Sox team in dire need of a good performance by a starting pitcher to begin a series following Garrett Crochet’s abysmal outing in Minnesota Monday, Suarez delivered.
Suarez’s arsenal and mechanics were lights-out, the best his pitches have looked all season. Manager Alex Cora said he was thoroughly impressed by Suarez’s stuff.
“Velo was up today, command was outstanding. The mix of pitches was great. I mean, the cutter, sinker, the four [seam fastball], the curveball. That’s pitching right there. That’s pitching,” Cora told reporters postgame (via Boston Sports Journal’s Chris Henrique). “Against a good lineup, right?
“And I’ve been saying for three weeks: we pitch, we’re gonna win. And that was really, really good.”
The Red Sox’ Green Monster City Connect uniforms may have played a hand in Friday’s win, too. The greens earned Boston its seventh walkoff victory while wearing them dating back to their debut last season; the team has a 7-5 overall record in the attire.
Suarez, and the uniforms, helped improve the Red Sox’ record to 8-11. If Boston can sweep Detroit in this four-game series, they’ll be a .500 team.
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