After another losing homestand the Red Sox thankfully head on the road, where they can win.
First place in the AL Central, the Guardians are 33-25 on the season. They’re three game in front of the Chicago White Sox. Not a typo. You were expecting the Detroit Tigers? They’re sitting at 22-35. The Red Sox are 23-32. So it really could be worse. Without Tarik Skubal the Tigers are in free fall. The Sox unfortunately don’t have such a linchpin player who can return. Well, maybe Roman Anthony or Garrett Crochet, but neither are quite the key Skubal is. Cleveland is scoring 4.14 runs per game. That’s below average but better than Boston’s 3.85 mark. They’re allowing 3.91 runs per game from the pitching unit, also just better than Boston’s 4.02.
It’s that time in the rotation. Brayan Bello will be pitching. This time with the newly-recalled Tyler Samaniego as his opener. With any luck, Typical Bello Dazzlement will appear for the bulk innings. Samaniego last appeared on 5/23 with a scoreless, hitless inning against the Twins. The Guardians have Slade Cecconi, a righthander with a 5.18 ERA facing the nearly unstoppable Bulk Bello. Over 11 starts he’s been up and down and up and down allowing 6 runs, 4 runs, 6 runs, 4 runs, 5 runs, around his better outings. Seattle, Atlanta, Houston, Toronto, and Oakland Sacramento all hit him hard. Those would be some of the better offenses in the league.
Sonny Gray is coming off his first real down outing in weeks. He lasted just 4.0 innings against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. He’s struck out 6, 9, and 4 over his past three starts of 6.0, 6.0, and 4.0 innings. He’d been in a groove since coming off the IL. He’ll face Parker Messick, a 25-year-old southpaw. Over his last five starts he allowed 2 earned runs or less four times. And he’s struck out 32 in those 28 innings.
With any luck the Sox have one or two wins already before Sunday. A series win in the bag heading into game three would be wonderful. Ranger Suarez, who was in a groove, promptly fell out of it against the Atlanta Braves. The five earned runs allowed last time out were a season high. He’ll be looking to bounce back. In one matchup last season, Suarez didn’t allow a run over 7.0 innings. Tanner Bibbe was roughed up for 7 runs last time out and gave up 8 runs to the Braves in April. Aside from a four-run, 4.0 outing against the Royals all the rest of his outings were 3 runs or less. The Guardians won his first start of the year and then lost the next 9, won against Detroit and then lost to the Nationals.
José Ramírez is off to his normal tricks: 8 homers, 20 steals and he’s an iron man with 58 games played.
Rookie Travis Bazzana is off to .302/.407/.458 start.
Angel Martínez has 9 home runs.
New catcher Patrick Bailey, acquired from the San Francisco Giants, is hitting .120/.185/.280. He’s called for 44 challenges from behind the plate and won 26.
Probable Pitching Matchups
Friday, May 29: Tyler Samaniego (1.04 ERA / 3.88 FIP) vs. Slade Cecconi (5.18 ERA / 4.67 FIP)
Saturday, May 30: Sonny Gray (3.27 ERA / 3.66 FIP) vs. Parker Messick (2.24 ERA / 3.04 FIP)
Sunday, May 31: Ranger Suarez (3.02 ERA / 3.29 FIP) vs. Tanner Bibbe (4.57 ERA / 4.85 FIP)
Friday, May 29: 7:10 PM ET on NESN
Saturday, May 30: 4:10 PM ET on NESN
Sunday, May 31: 1:40 PM ET on NESN
