Boston Red Sox: Momentum Grows for Pitching Staff
Boston Red Sox pitching staff finally finding some stability.
For all the negativity that has been heaped upon the Boston Red Sox pitching staff this season, it looks like they are finally finding some stability.
Unfortunately, this better effort has not necessarily translated to more wins.
A little under two months remain in the regular season and the Red Sox need better balance. An explosive offense has carried the team all season. If the Boston Red Sox are to make a run, solid performances from their pitchers in what has otherwise been a spotty season will be needed.
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Apart from an unlikely Cy Young candidate in Rick Porcello (15-3, 3.40 ERA) and an unlikely all-star in now-injured Steven Wright (13-5, 3.01 ERA), consistent pitching has been a rare commodity for the Red Sox in 2016.
Back before the All-Star break, in that not-so-long ago era in which Alex Rodriguez still played baseball, the Chicago White Sox were playoff contenders, and Andrew Benintendi was still but a gleam in the Red Sox eye, Boston was tearing the cover off the ball.
The result? A 49-38 record and a battle for first-place.
The downside was a Red Sox pitching staff with a team E.R.A. of 4.43. They were maddeningly inconsistent, were generous in giving up home runs, and were giving fans fits all across the nation.
Things have been better since the all-star break. In the 28 games since, the Red Sox staff has a 3.78 ERA, but thanks to untimely hiccups by the offense, the result is a 14-14 record. Porcello (4-1, 2.61 ERA), Eduardo Rodriguez (1-2, 2.80 ERA) and Wright (3-0, 4.13) have been steady since the all-star break, injuries and continuing struggles by others have held Boston back.
Craig Kimbrel and Koji Uehara have both spent time on the disabled list. Kimbrel, since his return, has had control issues, though he’s still been able to find ways to escape jams despite walking five in four innings pitched in August.
Drew Pomeranz, acquired from the San Diego Padres and expected to ease some of the pressure, has struggled in Boston. He is 0-2 with a 5.26 ERA since the all-star break.
Junichi Tazawa has not been his usual self. Over his last seven innings pitched he has walked five while giving up three home runs.
In 12 games–Sunday’s game not included–the Red Sox have a team ERA of 3.57 but continue to play .500 ball.
This now brings us to David Price (10-8, 4.29 ERA) who perhaps has been the most inconsistent of them all. Price has alternated between his usual self, like Saturday’s victory against Arizona (8 innings, 3 ER), average (7/23 vs Min: 11 hits, 5 ER in 5.2 inn), and horrendous (6/24 vs Tex: 12 hits, 6 ER in 2.1 inn). The Red Sox will need more games from Price like the one he pitched on Saturday for Boston to succeed down the stretch.
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Momentum grows for the Red Sox pitching staff. If the offense gets back its early swagger (4.8 runs per game post all-star break, down from 5.6 prior) and the pitchers ratchet it up one more notch, it promises to be a fun October for the Boston Red Sox.