Suarez outduels Mize with 8-frame gem as Red Sox walk it off in 10th

BOSTON – Ranger Suarez got $130 million for performances like Friday night's.

Signed to a five-year pact in January to slot behind ace Garrett Crochet atop the Red Sox rotation, Suarez delivered his first Fenway Park gem against the Tigers. He posted eight shutout innings in a scoreless duel until pinch-hitter Masataka Yoshida broke through in the 10th with a walk-off single for a 1-0 Red Sox victory.

“That’s pitching right there,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “That’s pitching ... against a good lineup, right?

“I’ve been saying for three weeks that if we pitch, we’re going to win.”

The 6-foot-1 lefty allowed two hits, both in the first inning, and a walk, while striking out four before a crowd of 34,866. After allowing eight runs over 8 1/3 innings across his first two Red Sox starts, Suarez responded with 14 scoreless frames and counting.

“The rhythm that I’ve had the last few starts has helped me to locate my pitches,” Suarez said. “That’s a big part of it.”

Tigers starter Casey Mize dueled with Suarez for most of the opener of a four-game series. The 2018 No. 1 overall pick compiled 6 2/3 shutout frames of his own, allowing three hits and a walk with seven strikeouts.

Suarez conceded hits to the second and third batters of the game -- the former being ballyhooed rookie Kevin McGonigle -- but a baserunning blunder from Jahmai Jones squashed an early scoring chance. Jones attempted to stretch a single into a double and was called out after a Red Sox challenge of the original call for the second out of the inning.

Suarez settled in from there, striking out cleanup hitter Dillon Dingler to end the inning and kick off a stretch of retiring nine straight Tigers. With the majority of Suarez’s outs coming from weak contact, he needed just 65 pitches through the first six innings. He’s now collected quality starts in all three of his career chances against Detroit.

Pitching for Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic changed Suarez’s normal ramp-up for the season. Limited action stunted his preparation.

“For a finesse pitcher, you need reps,” Cora said. “Velo was up today. Command was outstanding. The mix of pitches was great.”

Down 3-0 to Jones to lead off the seventh, Suarez countered with three straight strikes for a punchout after striking out just two batters over the first six innings.

Mize retired the first eight Red Sox he faced before Connor Wong smacked a ground-rule double off the warning track in the right-center-field triangle. A Roman Anthony swinging strikeout left Wong stranded. Mize needed 79 pitches through six innings to secure a quality start, his fourth in six outings against the Red Sox. He left the game with two outs in the bottom of the seventh in favor of Kyle Finnegan, who got Ceddanne Rafaela to ground out to end the inning.

Despite the scoreless tie, the Red Sox summoned closer Aroldis Chapman in the top of the ninth inning. He escaped despite allowing two hits and a walk, partially thanks to Wong nabbing Javier Báez on a stolen-base attempt.

Jarren Duran began the bottom of the 10th at second, advanced to third base on a wild pitch and scored the winning run on Yoshida’s walk-off single. It was the Red Sox's first walk-off win of the season and the first walk-off hit of Yoshida’s career. All seven of the team’s wins in its green City Connect jerseys they introduced last season have been in walk-off fashion.

“Although we weren’t able to produce much, we were able to come up with a win, and that’s huge,” Suarez said. “Today was a good team win, and we’re happy that we were able to start the homestand like this.”