Boston Red Sox Finding Pitching Success on West Coast Trip
The Boston Red Sox have won three of four games since beginning a seven-game western swing this past Monday. Highlighted by improved starting pitching, the Red Sox took two of three from the Oakland Athletics. They also downed the Seattle Mariners Thursday night behind a brilliant performance from Joe Kelly. The wins have not been high-scoring affairs, proving the importance of what quality pitching means to this Red Sox squad.
Rick Porcello was far from perfect in the series-opener opposite Oakland on Monday, but he once again turned in a solid outing. He tossed five innings, allowing nine hits. Because Porcello made some big pitches in key spots, he only surrendered three runs. The Red Sox went on to win the game 5-4 in the 11th on a solo homer by Pablo Sandoval.
Boston’s only loss of the trip thus far came on Tuesday when Justin Masterson took to the hill. Masterson had zero command of his pitches and his velocity dipped greatly as the Athletics shelled him. He lasted just 2 1/3 innings. The Red Sox placed him on the 15-day disabled list following the loss with right shoulder tendinitis. John Farrell said Masterson was “not right” upon conclusion of the game. The Red Sox dropped the contest 9-2.
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On Wednesday, Wade Miley shocked the masses, delivering a shutout over 6 2/3 innings of work in a 2-0 win. He allowed just five hits, lowering his ERA to 5.60. For Miley, the effort marked the third straight start in which he’s logged at least six innings. After failing to hit six innings in each of his starts in the month of April, Miley is finally trending in the right direction.
Kelly came up big for the Red Sox in the opening game of a four-game weekend set in Seattle, sacrificing velocity for increased command of his pitches. Kelly tossed 6 1/3 innings, allowing just one run on five hits. He threw a lot of fastballs in the victory, emphasizing his ability to locate them within the strike-zone. Kelly didn’t overthrow the baseball and generated 14 ground-ball outs to help the Red Sox earn a 2-0 victory.
While the Red Sox still have a long way to go in terms of making fans believers in their pitching abilities, Miley and Kelly certainly showcased many encouraging things. They’ll look to build upon their recent success on Friday when Clay Buchholz takes the mound. Buchholz earned a win in his last start against Toronto.