For the last few years one of the biggest questions surrounding Boston’s young starting pitchers was whether or not they could survive a full 162-game season. Guys like Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford and Brayan Bello had shown they could compete against big league hitters, but could they maintain their stuff deep into August and September?

The answer, it turns out, is a resounding yes.

This weekend Houck, Crawford and Bello wrap up successful seasons in which each will exceed 30 starts for the first time in their careers. Houck and Crawford will both approach 180 innings, and while an early-season injury will prevent Bello from nearing that mark, he has also made every start since mid-May and gotten better as the season’s gone along.

Even if the season ultimately fell short of expectations, the trio’s emergence as legitimate rotation anchors has massive implications for the club’s future.

“We felt like they were capable of it,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “They worked hard in the offseason to get to this point physically. Bello, you see the evolution of the body. Kutter put some weight. And Tanner, he’s Tanner. He’s very consistent in everything he does on the field, in the weight room and in the training room.”

Crawford, who is scheduled to make his 33rd and final start on Saturday, comes into the weekend with a 4.17 ERA over 179.1 innings. Barring a change of plan, he will become just the fifth Red Sox pitcher in the last decade to make 33 starts in a season, and probably also the third to top 180 innings since 2019.

Reaching those totals is particularly gratifying for Crawford after he spent his first two full MLB seasons bouncing back and forth between the rotation, bullpen and injured list. He said his goal was to make at least 30 starts and throw 162 innings, but while he’s happy to have accomplished that, there’s still more work to be done.

“I feel good about my ability to stay healthy and make the starts and post every five days, but there are also other stuff that needs to be worked on,” Crawford said. “I’m not satisfied with where my velo is at, I’m obviously not satisfied with how many homers I’ve given up this year. I haven’t given up necessarily as many hits, but when I have gotten hit it’s been hit hard.”

Pitching coach Andrew Bailey, who praised Crawford’s progress and work ethic, offered a similar assessment of what it’ll take to reach the next level.

“Obviously the long balls hurt him,” Bailey said. “So finding ways to stay off barrels, whether that’s increasing velo, honing in on some of the more intricacies of the shapes, specifically the splitter.”

With nothing to play for and having battled shoulder fatigue over the past few weeks, Houck won’t make his final scheduled start on Sunday, wrapping up a breakout year in which the 28-year-old earned his first career All-Star nod and established himself as a front-of-the-rotation guy. Houck finishes with a 3.12 ERA over 178.2 innings in 30 starts, all by far the best totals of his career.

And even Bello, who got off to a rocky start, finished the year on a high note. The 25-year-old missed three weeks with lat tightness in April and May and boasted a 5.32 ERA heading into the All-Star break, but from July 20 onwards he recorded a 3.47 ERA over 72.2 innings, a stretch that included one of the best outings of his career, an eight-shutout-inning gem against the Toronto Blue Jays on Aug. 28.

“l learned a lot this year,” Bello said via translator Carlos Villoria Benítez. “I was able to finish strong, I gave everything my last few outings so to be able to start pretty much every outing since May was a huge accomplishment for me.”

With the core of the starting rotation now firmly in place, the Red Sox should be much better positioned to supplement the group with additional up-and-coming arms along with new external additions this coming winter. But even if the Red Sox are happy with the steps their young pitchers have taken, the hope is this is just the start of their journey, not the ultimate destination.

“For me moving forward it sets the bar for these guys,” Bailey said. “On what we expect and continuing to drive performance.”

A technology developed in the Pittsburgh area could be the next big thing when it comes to fighting wildfires.

A former deputy chief in Greensburg has had an interest in firefighting foam since he wrote his term paper on it when he was 17 years old.

Larry Sukay recently returned to the firehall where he grew up: Fire Station #1. He was there the day it opened and spent 15 years with the department.

It was during that time that he learned about the foam technology developed in the late 50′s in Greensburg to put out coal mine fires. Sukay says it was integral in getting the historic La Rose Shop fire out in 1961.

He moved from the area in 1985 to California, a landscape increasing with wildfires. Sukay is now using his knowledge of firefighting foam to try to stop them.

“The technology that was developed here in Western Pennsylvania is going to address that global issue,” said Sukay.

Sukay has taken that foam “recipe” that was created in Greensburg and adapted it to make his own foam and own technology to drop it from a helicopter.

He says it can put down 8,000 feet of fire line in one pass, compared to 600 feet from a helicopter dropped with the same amount of liquid.

Sukay says foam attacks from 3 different angles: it eliminates oxygen, fuel, and heat.

“The technology we have is important, but an equally important part of our technology is we’re dropping an environmentally friendly, plant-based foam. Its safe for humans, animals, aquatic life, and its biodegradable,” Sukay also adds its free from PFAS.

Though Western Pennsylvania doesn’t have the wildfires that he does out west:

“There are sections here in town where the vegetation has grown up significantly around homes. You can have a major vegetation fire here even in Western Pennsylvania,” said Sukay.

The SKHI-EX system is still in the design and testing phase, but Sukay hopes to be able to launch it for fire departments to buy.

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The land search for the Connecticut Renaissance Faire is still ongoing, but the faire is going on.

The CT Renaissance Faire announced in the spring it was looking for a new venue to call home. It has been at the Lebanon Lions’ Fairgrounds since 2017. With attendance as high as 50,000 for it’s seven weekends, the Faire wants its own property to call home. The 65 or more acres of land the Faire is looking for would provide plenty of parking, space for permanent structures, and the possibility of off-season events.

The Faire has a property it has set its sights on but is still considering other properties. Months into the search, The Faire is still getting suggestions and towns interested in working with them.

“It’s finding the right land in those towns that can be difficult,” Tetreault said.

However, it will stay in eastern Connecticut because “it’s where we’ve been most of the time we’ve existed,” Tetreault said.

“We really like it here,” he said.

While the new home is supposed to be for the 2025 season, it may take longer to get going. There is no set time to make a final decision, and the Faire may need permits that take up to 18 months to finalize.

“We will see how that goes,” Tetreault said.

How’s this season going?

This season has been well attended. While Tetreault didn’t have exact numbers, most days have seen a 30% attendance increase compared to last year. The Faire offering affordable tickets and food contributes to this increase, he said.

“It’s exciting to see the younger people responding so well to the Faire,” Tetreault said.

The first weekend in October is Time Travelers Weekend, where science fiction will be included in the fun. Oct. 5 includes a cosplay costume contest, and an adults-only, costume required Halloween party after hours. Oct. 6 is specifically Doctor Who themed, with a Dr. Who cosplay contest and photo ops with The TARDIS, the vehicle the Doctors use to travel space and time.

The following weekend is All Hallows Eve Weekend. Oct. 12 will feature an evil laugh and scary scream contest, safe trick-or-treating, and the all-ages Halloween Knights after party. Oct. 13 will feature a costume contest for kids 15 and under, and Oct. 14 will feature a costume contest where everyone dresses as Mrs. Roper from the sitcom Three’s Company.

Oct. 19 and 20 is the Grand Finale Weekend and will feature talent shows both days. A variety of performers will be there or some or all of these weekends, per the Faire’s website.

If you go:

Tickets: General admission is $16, with discounts for children 15 and under. Dogs with proof of vaccination are admitted for $5. Buy your tickets online to save time.

When is the Faire open? The Faire is open weekends until Oct. 20, 10:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. It will also be open on Indigenous Peoples Day, Oct. 14.

What is there to eat? From savory pies to sweet treats, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Check out the list of food and beverage vendors so you don’t miss anyone on your list.

What about entertainment? Here is the show schedule. In addition there are plenty of medieval activities to do and watch, from jousting, to knighting ceremonies, to sword swallowing (don’t try this at home, kids), to aerial acrobats (Oct. 5-20 only), and all are included with your admission.

What’s the address? 122 Mack Road, Lebanon