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Red Sox reactions: Ranger Suárez (6 shutout innings) bounces back, bats come alive late in win
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- Red Sox reactions: Ranger Suárez (6 shutout innings) bounces back, bats come alive late in win
ST. LOUIS — Instant reactions as Ranger Suárez mows down the Cardinals with six shutout innings and the Red Sox ’ offense comes alive late as the Red Sox (5-9) win, 7-1, to even their series at Busch Stadium:
1) Suárez put to rest some early concerns with a great performance that showed why the Red Sox were willing to pay him $130 million over the winter. After a shaky first inning that seemed like a continuation of a two-start span in which Suárez pitched to an 8.64 ERA, the crafty lefty dominated the Cardinals lineup, inducing tons of weak contact and keeping hitters off balance throughout six innings.
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Suárez allowed just five baserunners (three singles and two walks) while striking out six batters. He got seven swings-and-misses with a sinker-heavy approach while significantly reducing the use of his cutter. Suárez got his first win in a Red Sox uniform.
2)The best offensive inning of the young season came in the ninth as the Red Sox stretched out a slim lead with a five-run onslaught against Matt Svanson . It’s the kind of inning that might catalyze the offense in the coming days.
Leading 2-1 after Jordan Walker homered off Garrett Whitlock in the bottom of the eighth, the Sox got things going with a Trevor Story walk (his first of the season) before six straight one-out singles from Carlos Narváez , Ceddanne Rafaela (RBI), Roman Anthony , Caleb Durbin (two-run), Jarren Duran (RBI) and Willson Contreras (RBI). It was Boston ’s first five-run inning of the season.
Offensively, Contreras — who smoked a two-run single at 112.8 mph to get the Sox on the board in the fourth — led the way with three RBIs. After a slow start, his OPS is up to .836.
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3)It was truly a tale of two versions of Suárez: a frustrated version that toiled through a 27-pitch first inning and a dominant one for the final five frames. The ex-Phillie didn’t look pleased with himself in a first inning that saw him get a quick double play, then walk back-to-back hitters as he approached the 30-pitch mark. He then came out for the second and cruised from there, retiring 15 of the last 17 batters he faced (including the last eight in a row).
An efficient Suárez needed 11 pitches in the second, 10 in the third, 13 in the fourth, seven in the fifth and 16 in the sixth. Alex Cora, recognizing Suárez’s strange build-up to start the season, conceded that 84 pitches (55 strikes) was enough.
4)The final offensive numbers (seven runs, 10 hits) suggest it wasn’t an offensive slog for the Red Sox, but it largely was until the ninth. Slug continues to be an issue, even if the line moved late. Contreras’ double was the only extra-base hit of the night for Boston and the Red Sox have just three of those in the last four games. Boston still has homered just once since the home opener (seven games).
5)The most important effect of that five-run ninth-inning rally? The Red Sox had closer Aroldis Chapman warming to protect a one-run lead but were able to let him sit down once the bats got going. It was Ryan Watson, and not Chapman, who pitched the ninth. That could pay off in the days to come.
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6) Greg Weissert’s season continues to be eventful . Tasked with bridging the gap between Suárez and the back end of the bullpen with a 2-0 lead, Weissert had the seventh inning and allowed two to reach (on an error and a walk) before Danny Coulombe stranded runners on the corners by getting pinch-hitter Yohel Pozo to fly out to end the inning.
Whitlock got two quick outs before the red-hot Walker took him deep to center to cut the lead in half. From there, the Red Sox opened things up.
7)There was a momentary injury scare involving Rafaela in the seventh. The center fielder was clipped in the hand by a Gordon Graceffo sinker (at 96 mph) and both Alex Cora and a team trainer spent a few minutes making sure Rafaela was OK before deciding to leave him in the game. He appears to be fine.
8)It was an encouraging offensive night for Marcelo Mayer , who reached three times out of the No. 7 spot. He singled in the third, then walked in the fourth and seventh innings.
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Duran, Contreras and Narváez all had two hits apiece.
9)That ninth-inning walk from Story was a long time coming. He struck out 20 times before his first free pass.
10)The Cardinals dominated one part of the game: ABS challenges. St. Louis was a perfect 5-for-5 on challenges against home plate umpire Brian Walsh, including three while batting.
There was also one of the weirdest umpire-involved sequences you’ll ever see in the bottom of the seventh, when José Fermín was originally ruled to have been hit by a Weissert pitch, only for the Red Sox to challenge and have it overturned. St. Louis then challenged to see if there was catcher’s interference and Fermín got to take first base once it was ruled his bat clipped Carlos Narváez’s glove.
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11) Brayan Bello (0-1, 9.00 ERA) will look to follow Suárez’s lead and get back on track Sunday after a shaky start to his season. The Cardinals will send right-hander Andre Pallante (1-0, 1.80 ERA) to the mound in the rubber game.
First pitch is at 2:15 p.m. ET.
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