Final spring tune-up highlights readiness over results as Opening Day looms.
If there was ever a reminder that spring training results don’t tell the full story, the Red Sox saved it for the very end.
Boston closed out its Grapefruit League schedule with a 15-6 loss to the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday - a game that felt far more like a final tune-up than anything worth overanalyzing.
The conditions didn’t help, with wind and bright skies turning routine fly balls into adventures, but the bigger takeaway was clear:
This one was about getting ready, not getting results.
Nowhere was that more evident than with Ranger Suarez.
Making his final start before the regular season, the left-hander was tagged for 8 earned runs on 9 hits over 4.1 innings. The stat line won’t look pretty, and a pair of two-run home runs - including a go-ahead shot by Byron Buxton - highlighted a rough fifth inning that swung the game for good.
Mar 14, 2026; Miami, FL, United States; Venezuela starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) delivers a pitch against Japan in the third inning during a quarterfinal game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at loanDepot Park. (Sam Navarro/Imagn Images)But context matters here.
Suarez’s primary goal wasn’t dominance, it was building stamina. He threw 69 pitches, worked into the fifth inning, and came out of it feeling physically ready for the games that actually count.
For a pitcher coming off a ramp-up period, that’s the box that needed to be checked.
The rest of the staff followed a similar script.
The Twins capitalized late, launching 6 home runs against Boston pitching, but the Red Sox were clearly more focused on getting arms stretched out and aligned for the regular season than chasing a clean box score.
At the plate, there were a few encouraging signs to carry into Opening Day.
Masataka Yoshida continued to find his rhythm, going 2-for-3 with a double to cap off back-to-back multi-hit performances. Trevor Story added a two-run double of his own, while Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony each chipped in with productive at-bats - a snapshot of the offensive depth Boston hopes will carry over into meaningful games.
And now, the real thing begins.
The Red Sox wrapped camp at 13-16 and immediately shifted their focus to Cincinnati, where Garrett Crochet will take the ball Thursday afternoon to open the 2026 season.
After six weeks of experimentation, adjustments, and evaluation, the runway is gone.
What happens next finally counts.
Jul 28, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) looks on before a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.