Ranger Suarez returned to the mound for the Boston Red Sox on Sunday after a three-week absence due to a groin strain, delivering a solid performance without the benefit of minor league rehab starts. Pitching at Fenway Park, Suarez threw four shutout innings against the Toronto Blue Jays, helping Boston secure a 6-1 victory before a sellout crowd of 36,795.

The left-handed pitcher allowed four hits, struck out six batters, and did not issue a walk while throwing 42 of his 64 pitches for strikes. Although his fastball velocity was slightly reduced, Suarez showed no clear signs of rust in his first outing since the injury.

“It’s in his blood,” said catcher Carlos Narváez, praising Suarez’s readiness to step directly into major league action without a tune-up game.

Suarez described initial nerves during the early innings but noted that he quickly settled in. “The first couple of innings I was kind of nervous. I didn’t know how I was going to feel,” he said through a translator. “But after that, I felt pretty good.”

With this win, the Red Sox improved to 54-50 on the season and took two games out of a three-game series against Toronto. Boston has experienced a strong run of late, winning 17 of their last 19 games and 25 of 32 overall.

The team is set to embark on a seven-game road trip to California starting Monday, facing the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Dodgers. Suarez’s performance provides a boost to the Red Sox’s pitching staff as they aim to maintain their momentum on the stretch run.