BASEBALL: Ranger Suarez, Red Sox aim to halt Tigers' win streak

The Boston Red Sox are optimistic as they look to get into a rhythm early in the long and unpredictable Major League Baseball season.

After closing out a series win at the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday, Boston will now face a tough seven-game homestand, beginning with the surging Detroit Tigers on Friday night. The four-game series will run through Monday, including a traditional 11:05 a.m. start on the Patriots' Day holiday in Massachusetts.

"We're three weeks into the season, and we feel like we haven't played anywhere close to our best baseball. And it could be way worse," said Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story. "Once we get rolling and once we get to doing the things that we know we can do on a consistent basis, we're excited about that."

Boston nearly suffered a sweep in Minnesota but managed a 9-5 win after rallying from a 1-0 deficit in the first inning. Story’s three-run home run, along with five RBIs, led the charge, while Andruw Monasterio contributed a 3-for-5 performance at the plate.

Pitcher Connelly Early played a key role, tossing six solid innings while allowing just one run. Now, the Red Sox are set to send left-hander Ranger Suarez (1-1, 5.02 ERA) to the mound for Friday's game.

Suarez is coming off his best outing in a Red Sox uniform, having shut out the St. Louis Cardinals through six innings last Saturday, striking out six while allowing just three hits.

"He moved the ball around," said Boston manager Alex Cora. "It seems like his arm was a lot quicker than the first two (starts). It tells me he feels better."

Suarez, who made two starts for the Philadelphia Phillies against Detroit over the past two seasons, went 0-1 with a 3.46 ERA in 13 combined innings.

On the other side, Detroit is riding a wave of success, having won six straight games, including a dramatic 10-9 comeback victory over the Kansas City Royals on Thursday. The Tigers have experienced a rollercoaster season, going from 4-4 to 4-9 and then back to above .500 with a 10-9 record.

Riley Greene delivered a clutch two-out, two-run double to tie the game, and Colt Keith's walk-off single capped a three-run rally in the ninth inning, securing their third consecutive one-run win.

"Part of our DNA is our willingness to do anything, but the other part that comes with that is we're going to play ‘til the end. We've had to do that," said Tigers manager A.J. Hinch. "These are funky wins with one run, or coming up late. Our guys play all 27 outs."

Detroit batted a season-high 14 hits in the game, holding a 6-1 lead after five innings before the Royals mounted a six-run rally in the seventh. The game also endured nearly two hours of rain delays.

Dillon Dingler hit a two-run homer, his team-leading fourth of the season, in the fifth, and Greene went 3-for-4 with a game-tying double.

"We're being clutch on both sides, with our pitching and hitting, but we're playing really clean, good baseball right now," Keith said. "We're showing it on the scorecard. We're winning."

Both Suarez and Detroit starter Casey Mize (1-1, 3.94) are coming off strong outings. Mize earned his first win of the season last Saturday, allowing just one run over 5 2/3 innings while striking out five against the Miami Marlins.

Mize has had a tough time against the Red Sox in his career, with a 0-1 record and a 3.95 ERA in five starts. His best performance came on September 26 of last season, when he threw 6 1/3 innings in a no-decision.

Detroit has won the last two season series between the teams.

-Field Level Media/Reuters