Ranger Suárez is making a serious case for being the Boston Red Sox's ace this season, and his latest outing against his former team was nothing short of dominant. The left-hander tossed 5 1/3 shutout innings, striking out eight batters in Thursday night's 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. While the final score wasn't in Boston's favor, Suárez's performance etched his name into the team's recent history books.

According to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, Suárez became the first Red Sox starter since Chris Sale in 2018 to record three consecutive scoreless appearances of at least four innings each. That's a feat that underscores just how locked in the big offseason signing has been. Since allowing four earned runs against the New York Yankees on April 22, Suárez has been untouchable, extending his scoreless streak to 17 1/3 innings.

The Red Sox pitching staff as a whole held up their end of the bargain during the three-game series against Philadelphia, but the bats went quiet. Neither team scored more than three runs in any of the contests, and the Phillies managed to take two of three, outscoring Boston just 6-5 overall. It was a pitchers' duel through and through, with Suárez leading the charge.

With ace Garrett Crochet sidelined due to a shoulder issue, Suárez has stepped into the role of staff leader. He currently leads the rotation in wins above replacement (WAR) at 0.9, innings pitched (44 1/3), and strikeouts (40). His 2.44 ERA and sparkling 0.94 WHIP are the best among Boston's starters, proving that his five-year, $130 million contract is already paying dividends.

For a team looking to climb the standings, Suárez's consistency is a bright spot. If he keeps dealing like this, the Red Sox will be in good shape whenever the offense finds its groove.