{"id":699502,"date":"2026-05-15T10:09:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T10:09:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/699502\/"},"modified":"2026-05-15T10:09:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T10:09:16","slug":"red-sox-manager-explains-unusual-pitching-decisions-from-latest-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/699502\/","title":{"rendered":"Red Sox manager explains unusual pitching decisions from latest loss"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ongoing offensive struggles were the primary reason the Boston Red Sox dropped this week\u2019s series<\/a> to the Philadelphia Phillies.<\/p>\n

But Thursday\u2019s series finale also included several unexpected pitching decisions from interim manager Chad Tracy.<\/p>\n

First, pulling starter Ranger Suarez<\/a> after 5 1\/3 scoreless innings and just 76 pitches. Then sending top right-handed reliever Garrett Whitlock face the bottom third of the Phillies order in the seventh, and deploying rookie left-hander Tyler Samaniego to face the top third in the following frame, rather than veteran closer and fellow southpaw Aroldis Chapman.<\/p>\n

Thursday was yet another gem by Suarez, who hasn\u2019t allowed a run in his last 19 innings and five scoreless performances in his last six starts. He had a perfect game bid through 3 2\/3 innings and a no-hitter through the end of the fourth.<\/p>\n

Yet Suarez also missed his last turn in the rotation after leaving his May 3 start<\/a> in the fourth inning due to right hamstring tightness. The new Sox southpaw avoided a stint on the injured list, but didn\u2019t throw much in between starts, and Tracy said could tell his starter was tiring by the fifth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had felt like even prior to that last inning he was starting to fatigue a little bit,\u201d Tracy said. \u201cAnd based on the fact that he hadn\u2019t thrown in 11, 12 days, it felt like that was the right time to cut it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chapman warmed up in the Boston bullpen before the top of the eighth, but with his teammates continuing to not score, Tracy stuck by his game plan. Samaniego went to the mound to face Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Chappy today we had talked like, we\u2019ll going to use him only in a save situation,\u201d Tracy said of Chapman. \u201cReally, too, the way we\u2019ve been going offensively, it\u2019s like, let\u2019s get another zero. How many zeros can we put up to see if we can give ourselves a chance to lead? And if you\u2019re down Chappy, you\u2019re going to use Sammy. The lane for Sammy is there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Samaniego, known in the clubhouse as \u2018Sammy,\u2019 saw his streak of 15 consecutive scoreless innings to begin his major league career end in the top of the eighth. He gave up the first two runs the Phillies scored in the contest, on a towering go-ahead two-run homer by Schwarber.<\/p>\n

Tracy didn\u2019t want the rookie left-hander to be too hard on himself about the \u2018Schwarbomb.\u2019 After all, Schwarber was already MLB\u2019s home run leader before he went yard Thursday night, which also marked seventh consecutive game with a round-tripper.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, he\u2019s got (18) home runs now on May (14),\u2019 Tracy said. \u201cHe\u2019s tough against left or right.\u201d<\/p>\n

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