On the heels of a series win against one of the NL's best teams, the New York Mets, the Boston Red Sox find themselves back under .500 with a 25-26 record approaching the last week of May.
It has been a roller coaster of a week for Boston. The team debuted their new "Fenway Greens" uniforms last Friday, faced their old friend in Chris Sale the same day, and Rafael Devers hit his first-ever walk-off home run, all in one series against the Atlanta Braves.
The story of the team's most recent series had to be both Walker Buehler and Alex Cora getting ejected in the third inning of Tuesday's 2-0 win, after Buehler had some choice words for home plate umpire Mike Estabrook while arguing balls and strikes. Cora stepped in to defend his pitcher, which resulted in him getting tossed as well.
Aside from that controversy, the Red Sox bullpen has concerning issues. For one, they're spent, having pitched a combined 13.5 innings in the three-game series against New York. Garret Crochet was taken out of Wednesday's loss after 5.1 innings, allowing just one run on 85 pitches thrown.
Red Sox fans have expressed their frustration in the past when it comes to Alex Cora's management of the bullpen, by not going out and improving it in the offseason, and the decisions he makes in games that end up backfiring.
While the product on the field hasn't met expectations, more potential drama has surfaced involving Cora and his veteran reliever, Liam Hendriks.
Liam Hendriks Frustrated with Red Sox Bullpen Management
There was a point in time when Liam Hendriks was considered one of the best closers in baseball, specifically from 2019 to 2022, when Hendriks was named an All-Star three times between the Athletics and the White Sox.
Now at 36 years old, he finds himself in Boston after Tommy John surgery derailed his 2023 and 2024 campaigns. With Boston, he has been asked to pitch in more of a setup/middle relief role rather than closing out games like he's been accustomed to for the latter part of his career. He's notched 116 career saves, the eighth-most among active relievers.
The veteran expressed frustration even before Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Mets, as Hendriks came in relief of Garrett Crochet with one out in the 7th inning, allowing 3 hits and 3 earned runs while striking out two batters.
"There was a couple of games where it was like I was the last guy in the bullpen. It’s a new experience for me. I felt like I had been pitching well to get trusted in a couple of those situations and it didn’t come to fruition. We had a couple of chats. I got in there today and it didn’t quite work out."Liam Hendriks
Hendriks also added that the role he's in now with Boston is new to him, further adding to the worrisome management displayed by Alex Cora.
"I think they understand the frustrations. I haven’t been a guy who has been taken out of a game in six years, and now, it has happened back-to-back games. I don’t like that. But, I understand it."Liam Hendriks
In Cora's defense, Hendriks hasn't been particularly good in his last two appearances, allowing 5 earned runs (3 against the Mets, 2 against the Braves on 5/16). That brings his ERA up to 5.56 in 11 relief efforts with the Red Sox.
For Hendriks to earn a more significant role in the bullpen, he'll have to pitch better, and Alex Cora will have to do a better job of managing this struggling Red Sox bullpen. The team leads the league in blown saves with 11, and they have done nothing to address it throughout the young season.
If the Red Sox want to make their first postseason appearance since 2021, a lot needs to change in terms of the bullpen, as they can be tabbed as an inconsistent group right now.