When the Boston Red Sox fired manager Alex Cora on Saturday night, it sent shockwaves through MLB. It was even more surprising after a 17-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles.
Worcester Red Sox manager Chad Tracy was named the interim manager by Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow. Two games in, Tracy is 2-0 after wins over the Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays.
Part of the early-season Red Sox struggles this season has been the starting pitching. Breslow built the roster over the offseason around the starting pitching. Whether it has been ace Garrett Crochet or Sonny Gray, acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals via a trade, is on the injured list. However, one pitcher picked up in free agency might be turning a corner in his first season in Boston.
Boston Red Sox Pitcher Ranger Suárez Turns in Much-Needed Performance
Boston opened a three-game series in Toronto on Monday night and needed left-hander Ranger Suárez to turn in an early-season performance that Red Sox fans were hoping they were getting earlier in the season. After signing a five-year, $130 million contract, he struggled early in the season. That all changed against the Blue Jays.
Suárez delivered a performance that Boston has been waiting for. He worked eight innings, threw 105 pitches, allowing one hit, walking one, and striking out 10. Suárez carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. He walked Davis Schneider in the third and allowed a double in the sixth inning to Jesús Sánchez. Other than that, he shut down the Blue Jays. Was Suárez thinking about a no-hitter as the game went along?
“I wasn’t thinking about a no-hitter,” Suarez said through an interpreter, according to the Boston Globe. “I wanted to get quick outs. That was my mentality, so I could go deeper into the game.”
That’s a truthful answer. Go deeper is what he did. He saved the bullpen with Greg Weissert, who needed 10 pitches to get through the ninth inning in a 5-0 victory.
Boston Red Sox Catcher Carlos Narváez Said What Fans Have Been Waiting for
Suárez looked like a different pitcher on Monday night. Catcher Carlos Narváez didn’t beat around the bush after the game about his pitcher’s performance. He knew right away it was going to be a good night.
“Today is who he is,” said Narváez, . “That’s who has been the last five, six, seven years. We used all pitches, all locations, so that is fun. “The first inning, bro, when you see the hitters in between, when you see he’s commanding the fastball to any spot he wants, he’s dealing. OK, this is gonna be a fun night.”
There is still a long way to go for the Red Sox. However, it’s only April, and this is one step in the right direction. Boston won their third straight game for the first time this season. Again, small steps. The American League East is tough, but nobody, other than the New York Yankees, has yet to separate from the rest of the division. For one night, Suárez was the pitcher who got a big new contract and delivered.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Ranger Suárez Drops Truth Bomb After Dominating Red Sox Win Over Blue Jays appeared first on HEAVY.