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.
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. 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.
After a walk to Jose Altuve and strikeout of Alvarez, Suarez’s night was through at 76 pitches. 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.