BOSTON — It's a showdown with serious storylines at Fenway Park this week as the Red Sox welcome the Philadelphia Phillies for a three-game series. The marquee matchup? Thursday's start features left-hander Ranger Suárez facing his former team for the first time since signing with Boston.
Suárez, who inked a five-year, $130 million deal with the Red Sox this past January, has been nothing short of dominant in 2025. Through seven starts, he boasts a stellar 2.77 ERA and has held opponents to a paltry .197 batting average. Even more impressive? He hasn't allowed a run in four of his last five outings. The lefty returns to the mound on Thursday after missing time with right hamstring tightness, last pitching on May 3 against the Astros.
"Everything is good there, so he's slated to throw on Thursday," interim manager Chad Tracy confirmed after Boston's 4-1 loss to the Rays on Sunday.
Suárez's history with the Phillies adds plenty of intrigue. He spent 2018 through early 2025 with Philadelphia, posting a 3.38 ERA across 187 appearances (119 starts). Signed by the Phillies as a 16-year-old international free agent back in 2012, this will be his first time facing the only other organization he's ever known.
But the series kicks off Tuesday with a creative plan from the Red Sox coaching staff. Brayan Bello will pitch after an opener, a strategy that paid off big time in his last outing. After struggling to a 9.12 ERA through his first six starts, Bello turned a corner on May 5 in Detroit. Used as a bulk reliever behind opener Jovani Morán, Bello fired seven innings of one-run ball for his first win of the season.
"We'll have an opener in front of Bello. Don't know who that's going to be yet," Tracy said. "We'll talk about it after using the 'pen today."
Sonny Gray gets the ball for Wednesday's game, giving Boston a solid trio of arms to counter a tough Phillies lineup. For fans looking to add some extra excitement, the Red Sox team total wins line is currently set at 79.5 games—a number that could shift depending on how this homestand goes.
With Suárez's emotional return, Bello's resurgence, and a heated interleague rivalry, this series at Fenway has all the makings of a must-watch stretch for Red Sox Nation.