BOSTON – For a second straight start, Ranger Suarez was in near-complete control of things, working another seven strong innings to put his club in position for a win. Last Friday in Baltimore, the southpaw tossed seven scoreless frames en route to his sixth win of the season. Another seven-inning show on Saturday saw Suarez give up just one run and five hits as he struck out eight batters in a 5-1 Red Sox victory over the Royals at Fenway Park. “I like it,” said the grinning interim manager, Chad Tracy. “The second one in a row. He was brilliant. Eight K’s, no walks, attacked the zone, used his offspeed very effectively, got people out front, got in on the hands. He was really, really good.” All in all, the Sox starter had just one pitch truly get away from him – an inside slider that Carter Jensen launched a Statcast-projected 386 feet for a solo home run in the sixth inning to tie the game at 1-1. The rest of the night, Suarez dug deep into his arsenal to keep Kansas City off balance, lauding some important tweaks for the recent run of results.
