New Red Sox pitchers Ranger Suárez, Johan Oviedo falter in debut as Astros pummel Boston 8-1

Four games into the 2026 season, the Red Sox offense looks flat and the revamped pitching staff has yet to deliver.

Left-hander Ranger Suárez made his Red Sox debut Monday night in the series opener against the Astros at Daikin Park.

Suárez, who the Red Sox signed to a five-year, $130 million deal in January, struggled out of the gate, allowing three straight singles to José Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, and Isaac Paredes.

He limited the damage by getting Carlos Correa to ground into a double play to Trevor Story, but still surrendered a run in the process.

In the third inning, Suárez allowed a leadoff single to Altuve before trying to sneak an 84.9 mph cutter up and in to Alvarez, who crushed it 394 feet into the right-field seats to give Houston a 3-0 lead.

An inning later, Brice Matthews added a 434-foot solo shot to extend the Astros’ lead to 4-0.

The southpaw last just 4 1/3 innings, allowing four runs, seven hits (two homers), one walk, and struck out three in his debut with the team, in Boston’s 8-1 loss to Houston. 

“There was some good,” manager Alex Cora told reporters of Suárez, “and there were some things that we’ve got to work (on).”

“Obviously it wasn’t the result that we all wanted, but physically I felt good,” Suárez said via team translator.

Boston planned to piggyback Johan Oviedo behind Suárez, but his debut didn’t go much better. The 6-foot-6 right-hander struggled, allowing four runs on six hits, including two home runs to Altuve, while walking one and striking out three over 3 2/3 innings.

“The little man got him,” Cora said of Altuve. “That’s what he does.”

One of the reasons the Red Sox acquired Oviedo from the Pirates this offseason was for his fastball and extension, but neither stood out on Monday. His fastball looked flat, failing to miss bats and catching too much of the zone.

Oviedo has been inconsistent dating back to spring, which played a role in Boston adding Connelly Early to the rotation. If he’s going to find success, his fastball velocity will need to climb back above 95 mph, otherwise, a trip to Triple-A Worcester could come quickly.

Craig Breslow’s three key pitching additions in Suárez, Oviedo, and Sonny Gray, all scuffled in their debuts. Gray lasted just four innings in Cincinnati after a 35-pitch first inning drove up his pitch count, ultimately allowing three earned runs.

The pitching wasn’t the only issue for Boston on Monday. The offense continues to look overmatched to start the season, as Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. carved through the lineup over seven innings.

McCullers threw 96 pitches (63 strikes) and generated 17 whiffs, allowing just four hits and one run while striking out nine in his season debut. It marked his first seven-inning outing since 2022 after injuries sidelined him for the 2023 and 2024 seasons.

“He was really good,” Cora said of McCullers. “We didn’t put pressure on him early on. … And then when we had him on the ropes, he went to his breaking ball.”

Story lined a ball into the left-field corner in the seventh and hustled into second, avoiding Altuve’s tag with a swim-move slide for a double. He was initially called out, but the Red Sox quickly challenged, and the call was overturned.

Roman Anthony’s fourth-inning flyout was Boston’s only hard-hit ball with a positive launch angle until the seventh inning. He finished the game 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. 

Wilyer Abreu (2-for-3) drove in the Sox only run, ripping an RBI ground-rule double in the seventh, collecting two hits in the losing effort. The right fielder has been one of the few bright spots for the Red Sox since their 3-0 Opening Day win over the Reds. Through four games, he’s 8-for-16 (.500) with two home runs, three doubles, five RBIs, two runs and two strikeouts.

Caleb Durbin looks lost at the plate, starting 0-for-14 with a walk and three strikeouts to begin his Red Sox career. The 26-year-old went 0-for-2, including ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the fifth inning. In the seventh inning, Cora lifted Durbin for a pinch hitter, Masataka Yoshida, who struck out with two runners in scoring position and two outs.

Boston was only able to collect four hits in the loss, leaving three runners on base, struck out 12 times, and went 1-for-3 with runners in scoring position. 

The Sox will continue their series on Tuesday with the Astros, sending Brayan Bello to the mound and will face off against Houston’s ace Hunter Brown.