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How Red Sox plan to get Ranger Suárez (8.64 ERA) back on track: ‘He needs to execute’
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- How Red Sox plan to get Ranger Suárez (8.64 ERA) back on track: ‘He needs to execute’
ST. LOUIS — In January, the Red Sox pivoted to free agent lefty Ranger Suárez and gave him a five-year, $130 million contract to stabilize the front end of their rotation and serve as a running mate to ace Garrett Crochet . So far, though, amid an ugly 4-9 start, Suárez has been perhaps the most disappointing performer on Boston ’s roster.
Through two outings, Suárez owns an 8.64 ERA (8 earned runs in 8 ⅓ innings) while allowing 13 hits (including two homers), striking out five and walking three. He has recorded just one out in the fifth inning or later and Boston has lost both of his starts.
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“We just have to be better and he knows it,” said manager Alex Cora. “He needs to execute.”
The Red Sox don’t believe Suárez, who has dealt with his share of minor injuries throughout his career, is dealing with anything physical. Instead, as Cora said, it’s a matter of location and execution that can, at least in part, be blamed on Suárez’s wonky build-up this spring. Pitching poorly in the World Baseball Classic put Suárez behind the rest of Boston’s pitchers in terms of workload , leaving the Red Sox scrambling to get him ready for Opening Day and then installing limitations once the season started.
“We’re getting him still going through a little bit of his spring training, to be honest with you,” said pitching coach Andrew Bailey.
Suárez was up to 45 pitches on March 1 before leaving camp to pitch for Team Venezuela in the WBC. He made his tournament debut five days later against the Netherlands and threw 43 pitches while allowing a run on three hits in two innings. His next outing wasn’t until March 14, when he was hit hard (five runs in 2 ⅔ innings) and threw just 51 pitches in the semifinal against Japan. By the time he returned to Red Sox camp, he was pretty far behind.
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“We wanted to get to know him and his routines and how he likes to work,” said Bailey. “Working with our catchers, how he likes to gameplan. All of those take a little bit of a hit. Then, going 10 days between outings and they’re both two innings or whatever. Trying to be mindful of all of that and that it’s gonna take some time.”
With the clock ticking before Opening Day, Suárez threw 61 pitches in an intrasquad scrimmage on March 19 before getting lit up (eight earned runs, nine hits in 4⅓ innings) in his final spring training outing on March 24, when he threw 69. While the WBC was generally a positive for the Red Sox and served as a showcase for many of its young players, it unquestionably hurt the start of Suárez’s tenure. The stops and starts of the tournament put Boston’s $130 million man behind the eight ball, but looking back, Cora has no gripes with Suárez’s usage or Venezuelan manager Omar Lopez.
“(Wish) he pitched better so he could pitch more,” Cora said Friday. “At the end, as a manager, you have to do everything possible to win games and their manager was the best manager in the tournament. They won the tournament.”
Looking at Suárez’s two rough outings, the Red Sox point to certain pitch locations that led to the starts unraveling. On March 30 in Houston , a cutter to Yordan Alvarez (two-run homer) put Suárez in a three-run hole after he had navigated an earlier hit parade. On Sunday against San Diego , Suárez faced the minimum through three innings before coming undone in the fourth, when he left too many pitches over the plate and allowed four hits in a three-run Padres inning. San Diego started ambushing Suárez’s first pitch and the lefty paid the price.
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“It’s locations,” Bailey said. “Locations have slipped a little bit. We’ve just got to get the locations and execution dialed (in). That’s what he’s had a lot of success on, in this league. He has tons of pitchability. Consistent locations and command of all pitch types, that’s really the answer right there.”
Suárez’s velocity is consistent with where it was last year, with his fastball once again averaging 90.5 mph. Without prime velocity, he’s someone who always needs to hit his spots. To this point, Suárez’s five-pitch mix, which features a four-seamer, sinker, changeup, cutter and curveball, has simply been off. The Red Sox are hopeful that will change Saturday night against the Cardinals in Busch Stadium .
“His ability to locate both in and around the zone is where he has all of his success,” Bailey said. “When you look at his location grades from the last three years, they’re off the charts. He’s taken a little step back in certain areas so we have to get those pitches dialed in.”
The Red Sox also don’t think the ABS (automated ball-strike) system will hurt Suárez.
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“For me, the game is the same,” Bailey said. “Count leverage, continue to execute. He has a knack for being able to put guys away around the zone and that’s how he goes about his game.”
So far, the Red Sox have enjoyed the affable Suárez as a teammate and a clubhouse presence . Still, there’s a sense of uneasiness — and urgency — when it comes to how his time in Boston has started.
“He’s very mellow,” said Bailey. “He does things his own way, which is good. He knows what he needs and knows what he wants. He has been fantastic. He’s a joy to be around. Brings some funny and chill vibes to the team. On his start days, he’s a dog, though.
“He’s on the right track. I think he’s putting in some really solid work. We’ll continue to support him and get him back to those quality locations.”
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