Ranger Suarez Dominates Tigers In Low Scoring Boston Red Sox Win

It was a pitchers' duel at Fenway Park on Friday night as the Boston Red Sox improved to 8-11 with a 1-0 walk-off victory over the Detroit Tigers. Detroit starter Casey Mize dominated the Boston lineup, striking out seven Red Sox hitters and allowing just three hits across 6.2 shutout innings. Luckily for the Red Sox, their big-ticket free agent signing, Ranger Suarez, was more than up to the task.

Suarez outdueled Mize, allowing only two hits across eight shutout innings in the best start of his young Red Sox career. With the win, the Red Sox improve to 8-0 when they get a quality outing from their starter. "I've been saying for three weeks, if we pitch, we're gonna win." Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters after the win.

For Suarez, it was everything Craig Breslow and company dreamt of when they signed him to a five-year, $130-million deal in January. Suarez used all five of his pitches effectively to keep hitters off-balance, allowing a season-low five hard-hit balls. Cora lauded his starter's performance, "Command was outstanding, the mix of the pitches was great, cutter, sinker, four, the curveball," Cora said, "I mean that's pitching right there."

It was a rocky start to the season for Suarez. After a rough showing in the World Baseball Classic and a Spring Training ERA of 11.00, Suarez entered the regular season behind the rest of the Boston staff and appeared more than rusty in his first two starts, allowing eight earned runs in 8.1 innings pitched. "If he had pitched four innings, five innings for Venezuela, but he didn't do that," Cora said of the slow start, "for a finesse pitcher, you need your reps," he continued.

It appears that he has gotten his reps, as Friday's gem marks the second consecutive quality start for Suarez, who has now lowered his ERA to 3.22, good for second-best in the Boston rotation behind rookie .