Most fans assume a losing team crumbles when they face a struggling opponent, but the numbers say the opposite is true for the Red Sox right now. Boston sits five games clear in a wild-card spot, yet they just lost their third straight game in a row. The real story isn’t the loss itself, but the one player who has history on his side against the team visiting Fenway Park this Saturday.
The Lefty Who Owns Kansas City
Ranger Suarez has turned a corner when it matters most, posting a 1.93 ERA in two career starts against the Royals. He has struck out nine batters over just 9 1/3 innings of work against this specific squad. This isn’t just a lucky streak; it is a track record that suggests he can shut down the visitors before they even get a hit. According to The Lufkin Daily News, Suarez allowed only one run in a previous matchup back in May, proving he knows exactly how to handle this lineup.
The pitcher himself knows this is the moment he has been waiting for all season. “Literally, I’ve been waiting for (that type of) start for a while,” Suarez said after his latest win. He admitted he struggled to get through six innings in his three or four starts before that. Now he wants to finish strong and end the year on a high note.
A Team That Must Wake Up Early
While the pitcher has a plan, the rest of the team faces a glaring problem that cannot be ignored. In their most recent game, Boston left eight men on base and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. They managed just one single after the fifth inning, which is a recipe for heartbreak. Interim manager Chad Tracy noted the problem plainly, stating, “We need to do more, particularly in the early part of games”
The team needs to get off to a hot start for sure. Mickey Gasper provided a spark with a first-inning solo home run in the last outing, his ninth in the last 21 games. Trevor Story and Wilyer Abreu also had doubles, but it was not enough to overcome the lack of support later in the game. The Royals, who have won three of their last five games, are not going to make this easy for the Red Sox.
Suarez is expected to take the mound again to try and break this skid. Before finally scattering five hits in his last outing, he gave up 18 earned runs across his previous six starts. That 1-0 win over Baltimore showed what he is capable of when he has a little help. As CBS Sports noted, the Red Sox hope to protect their wild-card cushion while snapping this three-game losing streak.
