Suarez's Red Sox tenure gets off to shaky start in Houston

HOUSTON -- This wasn’t what Ranger Suarez had in mind.

Making his first Red Sox start after signing a five-year, $130 million offseason deal as a free agent, Suarez allowed four runs and seven hits, including two homers, before departing after 4 1/3 innings in Boston’s 8-1 loss to the Astros Monday night at Daikin Park.

“Very nice to be able to make my debut with the team. It wasn’t the result we all wanted, but basically I felt good,” said Suarez, who reached 76 pitches before departing. “I just need to turn the page and get ready for the next one.”

Suarez’s night got off to a shaky start after he opened the game allowing three consecutive singles. But he limited the first-inning damage to a run, which scored on Carlos Correa’s double-play grounder to short.

Before Monday’s loss, Red Sox manager Alex Cora noted that, while Suarez has a tension-free presence, things can change when a game begins.

“I think if you miss pitches here and there, you get frustrated,” said Suarez, whose night included 44 strikes and 32 balls. “I feel like the least amount of nerves you make during the starts, the better they will go. But the key is go pitch by pitch, hitter by hitter, and see what happens.”

Suarez’s second inning was uneventful. But after Jose Altuve’s single led off the third, Yordan Alvarez’s two-run homer to right off an 84.9 mph cutter put the Astros up 3-0 in the third. Brice Matthews sent an 89.3 mph cutter a Statcast-projected 434 feet to center to lead off the Houston fifth. Alvarez’s home run was struck at 108.8 mph, while Matthews’ blow had an exit velocity of 111.1 mph.

“First pitch [to Alvarez], cutter ball,” Cora said. “Next one backed up, and he doesn’t miss those. Then there was another cutter later on, middle-middle, 2-1, [and Matthews] hit it out of the ballpark.

“There was some good, and there were some things we’ve got to work on, and [Suarez] will. In the middle of the start, he was able to change speeds, throw strikes and get some swings and misses.”

Suarez, whose velocity topped out at 92.5 mph, netted six whiffs on the night. He could only wish Alvarez and Matthews had missed the two pitches they pulverized.

“We’re in the big leagues,” Suarez said, speaking of what Major League hitters will do when a pitch’s location is poor.

After following the Matthews fifth-inning homer with a walk to Altuve and strikeout of Alvarez, Suarez’s night was over. He struck out three and walked one.

Though he beat the Astros in Game 3 of the 2022 World Series, Suarez hasn’t fared as well against them in three regular-season starts, all in Houston. The 30-year-old left-hander has now allowed 11 earned runs in 15 innings (6.60 ERA) at Daikin Park.

The Red Sox, who fell to 1-3 with their third consecutive loss, were stymied by Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr., striking out nine times over the veteran right-hander’s seven innings and not scoring until Wilyer Abreu doubled home Boston’s only run in the seventh.

While much of the Red Sox lineup has struggled in the early going, Abreu has been a huge exception. His 2-for-3 night gave him a .500 batting average and a 1.563 OPS through the season’s first four games.