The Red Sox will give Anthony Ranaudo his third major league start Friday night as they start a series against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Anthony Ranaudo's first two starts in the majors have been a mixed bag, but erred on the side of underwhelming. Six earned runs in twelve innings isn't good in this day-and-age, but is still not too bad for a rookie. What isn't particularly good by any measurement are the five walks compared to only three strikeouts.
Also not encouraging: Ranaudo's last minor league start, when he allowed four runs in six innings of work. Again, not the worst, but certainly not what you're looking for against minor league competition. The Rays' lineup isn't one of the league's best, but they're certainly tougher competition than an MiLB team.
Still, it's early in Ranaudo's MLB career, to say the least, and his season in Pawtucket has been largely successful. Everyone has to start somewhere.
First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. ET with broadcasts on NESN and WEEI.