Albert Suárez has managed to keep the other team from scoring in nearly half of his starts in 2024.
This is quite an achievement for a 34-year-old right-handed pitcher who was out of major league baseball for six full seasons before returning this year with Baltimore.
On Sunday, Suárez pitched six scoreless innings, helping the Orioles win 4-2 against the Boston Red Sox. He has now kept opponents from scoring in 8 of his 17 starts this season, leading the majors in starts with at least two scoreless innings.
“That’s an amazing stat,” said manager Brandon Hyde.
Suárez (6-4) has now gone three starts in a row without allowing any runs, which is crucial since the Orioles need him in the rotation due to Grayson Rodriguez’s recent injury. His ERA is now 3.18, close to Baltimore’s top pitcher Corbin Burnes, who has a 3.10 ERA.
Suárez threw 99 pitches and struck out six batters without walking any against the Red Sox, although he nearly gave up a walk a few times.
“He bears down really, really well, and there’s not a whole lot of panic out there either,” Hyde said. “The game doesn’t speed up on him.”
In the fourth inning, with Boston having runners on first and second and no outs, Suárez struck out Tyler O’Neill with a 3-2 cutter and managed to get out of the situation. The Red Sox also left two runners on base in the sixth inning.
“He’s one of those guys, he’s going to attack up in the zone,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “We did a good job taking our singles, but when it mattered we weren’t able to cash in.”
Suárez previously played in Japan from 2019 to 2021 and in South Korea from 2022 to 2023. He has been a key player for the Orioles this season, especially with the season-ending injuries to Kyle Bradish, John Means, and Tyler Wells.
“My mentality is to stay aggressive and attack the hitters,” Suárez said. “I think that’s what’s helping, plus what I’m doing off the field on the training side.”
