Tag Archives: Pitching

David Price Opt Out is For the Best

Leave a reply

 

David Price’s career in Boston can be described as shaky at best. There are Price lovers and Price haters, most fans can agree that Price has not been all that. Fighting with fans, Hall of Famers, and the media, Price cannot handle the pressures of playing in Boston. David Price’s 7 year/ $217 million contract came a year after Jon Lester was offered a 4 year/ $70 million contract. Lester is a good pitcher who can perform in the playoffs. However he was 30, and according to John Henry the Red Sox refuse to sign pitchers over 30.

Before Boston

Price is sensitive, and cannot handle big games. Dave Dombrowski and the Red Sox still still gave him one of the biggest contracts ever given to a pitcher. Before Price was verbally assaulting Hall of Famers, he was attacking Red Sox fans on Twitter. Price is about as tough as a plastic bag in a tree. He also went after David Ortiz for the unholy act of admiring the two home runs he hit in the playoffs. David Ortiz again proved himself the bigger man by burying the hatchet. It seemed that Price would never sign here, and if he did it would be a huge mistake. Like Carl Crawford, Price went blind at all those zeroes.

2016

Price was “Ace” going into the 2016 season. He was “saving all his postseason wins for the Red Sox”. At the end of the season his ERA was 3.99, which is not good at all. Price is making the same amount of money that Clayton Kershaw is, and that’s how he turned out? Kershaw had a 1.69 ERA in 2016. Many would argue and say it is unfair to compare Price and Kershaw, but why is that?  Price is making that much money and supposedly one of the league’s top pitchers. Why can he not perform like the league’s top talent?

Price started 35 games that season and threw 230 innings. He also ended with a record of 17-9. All that is impressive, but Price can’t have an ERA that high. Price was rocked in the playoffs, giving up 5 runs in 3.1 innings pitched. After the season, Price was critical of reporters for having the audacity to point out that he has never won a playoff game as a starter.

2017

Price started the season with an elbow injury in spring training. This caused the former Cy Young Award winner to miss significant time this past season. Even though Price was not on the mound all season, he was certainly in the news. During a rehab start in Pawtucket, Price’s play was not good, and the boo’s fell down on him. Price missed his scheduled interview with the media and quickly drove away. His record: 6-3 with a much lower 3.38 ERA in 74.2 innings pitched. Price, to the delight of his cowardly teammates, went after Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley on a team flight. This season was one headache after another. Price was outstanding coming out of the bullpen in the playoffs, but the Red Sox need starters to show up in the postseason.

Going Forward

The best-case scenario going forward is that Price either dominates or is at least decent this season. The Red Sox need production from their starters, and Price needs another big contract. Price will be 32 this season and his performance will continue to go down. His elbow is still in question. The Red Sox get what they can from Price, let him opt out, and move on. They would save themselves $119 and a whole lot of headaches.

 

Follow Matt McGurn on Twitter: @MickGurn

Media Credit: www.bosoxinjection.com

The Road to the World Series Not Paved with Gold

Leave a reply

The Red Sox are in the playoffs with a magic number of one to secure the AL East title. The journey to the World Series starts now.

‘Stros and the Tribe Up Next

There is a good chance that will happen, but then the fun begins. With the Astros and the Indians still competing for home field advantage, the Red Sox have a mountain to climb.  Both possible opponents have been among the best and most consistent teams of 2017.  The Indians have won 100 games, the Astros 99.  The Astros lead the MLB in batting average, RBI, OBP, SLG, OPS, runs, hits and doubles. Offensively, they are a machine with a line up deeper than the Atlantic.  While their pitching is not as strong, the team ERA is 4.13, they strike out a lot of batters and are above average in just about every way.  The also have former CY Young winners in Keuchal and Verlander who have sampled the play offs before.

The Indians also play on the back of that record-breaking winning streak with high confidence. Offensively not as strong as the Astros, but The Indians remain in the top five in most categories.  Their pitching is their strong card. They have the best team ERA, most strikeouts, most complete games, a second best WHIP of 1.17 and they have Terry Francona, a manager who has won and lost in the World Series and understands how to manage his pitching staff in the post season cauldron.

The Up and Down Sox

At the moment, the Red Sox are frustratingly inconsistent. They have the talent but can’t seem to put it all together over a sustained period.  There is no doubt the Red Sox are down on power at the plate. They rank just 27th in home runs with just a mere 167 this season.  The team slugging percentage is just .408, down in 25th spot with an OPS of just .738.

It is brighter on the defensive side. The Red Sox have the fourth-best ERA of 3.71, the third most strikeouts a WHIP of 1.25 and Chris Sale, who on his day is one of the top-three pitchers in the whole MLB.  The problem is that the Red Sox have pitched the most innings of any team, mainly because run support had often been non-existent. Chris Sale has pitched more innings than anyone and it’s beginning to show.  That said, there has been a recent and alarming tendency by the pitching staff to give up runs in the first inning. With the current, offensive state of play its game over.

We know the Indians will have a game plan for the playoffs. We saw it last year and no doubt it will happen again.  The Astros will let their bats do the talking and will just try and outscore everyone. Any off day from a Red Sox pitcher will be punished.

If the Red Sox are to make it to the World Series, it is likely they will have to beat both the Indians and the Astros. To do that they are going to have to shut down the Astros’ offense and overcome Kluber, Miller and co.

That’s a tough ask.

Farrell Falls Short as Sox Biggest Flaw

Leave a reply

Embed from Getty Images

The 2017 Red Sox aren’t a World Series caliber team. This much should be obvious by this point in the season. That doesn’t mean they can’t win the World Series, it just means they’ll have to get hot and play above themselves for a few critical weeks. We’ve seen that before – I hope we can all agree that the 2013 Red Sox weren’t a great team either.

This year’s squad can’t hit for power, a critical ingredient to October baseball, and they run the bases like little leaguers hopped up on Mountain Dew. We can blame Farrell for the almost nightly disaster on the base paths, as well as for a litany of line-up and pitching decisions.  But we can’t pin the team’s structural flaws on him.

Mismanagement

John Farrell didn’t sign Panda; that was Ben Cherington. He didn’t spike Pedroia at second base; that was Manny Machado. He didn’t trade Travis Shaw for an injured Tyler Thornburg and he didn’t not sign Edwin Encarnacion or any other suitable replacement for David Ortiz; those are on Dave Dombrowski.

Sure, Dombrowski landed Kimbrel, but he also invested $217 million over seven years in David Price. How’s that working out? We knew long before his classless meltdown with Eckersley that Price was a spoiled, over-paid number two starter, incapable of performing under pressure, and unwilling to accept criticism. That was the book on him. Red Sox ownership was so worried about coddling his sensitive ego that their mouthpiece Boston Globe took time out of their busy schedule slandering Tom Brady to publish one article after the other about.   What a great guy, he how works so hard, and how we should all treat him better. Dombrowski and John Henry have been poor David’s helicopter parents since the moment he arrived.

Price and Sandoval are the most obvious examples. But there are so many other bad player decisions in recent years that have shaped this ball club. The 2017 Red Sox are poorly assembled. That’s not John Farrell’s fault.

Plateaued Performance

What we can, and indeed should, ascribe to Farrell and his coaching staff is the poor on-field performance of so many talented players. Forget entirely about the lunacy on the base paths that has resulted in Boston running into more outs that any other team in the league.  What’s most disturbing this year is the regression of players like Bogaerts, Bradley, and Betts.

Xander is hitting 25 points below last year’s batting average, 74 points lower in OPS, has 13 fewer home runs, and 17 fewer runs batted in. He’s also committed more errors this season to date than all of last year (in 100 fewer total chances).

Bradley’s averages are comparable to last year but his power in significantly down. His 12 home runs are just over half last season’s 26 and he has driven in 33 fewer runs.

Most troubling is Mookie Betts’ decline at the plate. His .259 BA and .769 OPS are nearly 60 and 130 points below last season respectively. Last season Betts was second only to Ortiz in HRs and RBI with 31 and 113. This year he will be lucky to break the 20/90 threshold.

Bogaerts, Bradley, and Betts represent the future of the franchise. Yes, Benintendi and Devers look promising, but Betts could easily have been AL MVP last year and we once spoke of Xander and Jackie as untradeable perennial All Stars. Does anyone still feel that way? More to the point, does anyone have a ton of confidence when either of them come up in a big spot in an important game?

It’s frustrating to try and discern why Mitch Moreland isn’t in the line-up all the time.  Or why a starting pitcher goes out to start the eighth inning already having thrown 100 pitches.   John Farrell isn’t our biggest problem. Poor team construction is our biggest problem. John Farrell just isn’t helping.

 

The Three-Headed Monster — Sale, Pomeranz, and Porcello

Leave a reply

This season we have seen a slight improvement in our starting five-man pitching rotation.  Despite injuries, our rotation has seemed to hold it together. Recently, they REALLY seem to be holding it together.  Today, let’s focus on Chris Sale, Drew Pomeranz, and Rick Porcello.

CHRIS SALE

The addition of Chris Sale in the off-season was probably the best thing to ever happen, like an early Christmas gift to all of Boston. “The Red Sox have Chris Sale,” became the most popular statement in the off-season.  He hasn’t disappointed either, absolutely dominant since coming to Boston.  Currently, he stands 14-5 with a 2.62 ERA and 250 strikeouts.  He is tied for second in the league with wins, fourth in ERA, and first in strikeouts.  He is a possible Cy Young and MVP candidate this season.  The last pitcher to win both awards in the same season was Clayton Kershaw in 2014.

Adding to a terrific season, Sale started in back-to-back All Star games, and the first pitcher ever to start in back-to-back All Star games representing different teams. Sale was the 16th pitcher in MLB history to start an All-Star game and was the first to do so since Randy Johnson in 2000-2001.

To add onto Sale’s incredible season, here are some of his stats and his rankings amongst the league.

  • 1st in Strikeouts (250)
  • 1st in Win/ Loss % (0.737)
  • 1st in Strikeouts per 9 IP (12.833)
  • 2nd in Home Runs per 9 IP (0.77)
  • 2nd in Wins (14)
  • 3rd in Innings Pitched (175.1)
  • 4th in ERA (2.62)
  • 4th in Pitchers WAR (5.7)
  • 7th in WHIP (0.890)

DREW POMERANZ

If I came into this season saying Drew Pomeranz has potential to be Cy Young, you’d probably laugh at me. But, I’d laugh back because it’s actually pretty true. This season, Pomeranz is 13-4 with a 3.18 ERA. At home, he has a 7-2 record. Never in his career has he had 13 wins. His closest season was in 2016 when he had a total of 11 wins when he played a split season with the San Diego Padres and the Red Sox. Only once in his career did he have an ERA under 3.18 (2014 he posted a 2.35 ERA) but he pitched in less games and half the amount of innings.

In July and August combined, Pomeranz is 6-0 with a 2.19 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 58 innings.  In the month of August alone, he has only allowed four runs in 21.2 innings of work. His strikeouts per 9 innings have increased from June, going from 8.3 to now 10.8.

His worst outings are usually recorded in his first inning. In just the first inning, Pomeranz has a 5.76 ERA and has allowed six home runs in just 25 innings. His best innings are usually the 2nd, 3rd and 6th.

  • 3rd in Wins (13)
  • 5th in Win/ Loss % (0.765)
  • 7th in Adjusted ERA (144)
  • 10th in ERA (3.18)

 

RICK PORCELLO

Rick Porcello is having an off year, commonly known as the Cy Young hangover. Porcello is 8-14 this season with a 4.48 ERA. His 14 losses are the most in his career since his 2015 season with the Red Sox where he went 9-15. He is tied in 3rd in the league with home runs allowed (29), 2nd in hits allowed (189), 1st in losses (14), and 7th in earned runs (82).  Despite putting up terrible numbers, let’s look at his positives.

  • 2nd in Games Started (26)
  • 2nd in Complete Games (3)
  • 6th in Innings Pitched (164.2)
  • 17th in Strikeouts (149)

In the month of August, Porcello is however turning everything around. He is 4-0 in his past four starts and has an opposing batting average of .242.  Opposing batting average from the previous 22 games of the season was .291 and he was 4-14 during that span (April 3-July 28).  The first half of the season, Porcello was posting a 4-11 record with a 4.75 ERA. The second half of the season, he has improved tremendously with a 4-3 record and posted a 3.77 ERA in 7 games. Hopefully something clicked in his brain and he continues with what he is doing.

In conclusion, our pitching staff is doing better in the second half of the season.  Doug Fister is 2-2 in his past four outings including a one-hit complete game the other night against the red hot Cleveland Indians. Eduardo Rodriguez seems to be finally figuring out what he’s been doing wrong despite going 0-0 in his last four outings. Hopefully this consistency in pitching “Sales” us into the postseason and collects some wins and a ring.

Can Fister be Part of World Series Glory?

Leave a reply

Doug Fister threw a complete, one-hit game against the Indians as the Red Sox beat the 2016 AL champions. To say he has come in for a lot of criticism since his move to Fenway is an understatement.

Its also true to say that Fister has been excellent and awful from start to start. His recent stellar performance followed a nightmare against the Indians when he gave up five runs over 4.1 innings.

Filling In

Fister fills in for the injured David Price, taking the fifth starter slot behind Sale, Pomeranz, Porcello and Rodriguez. Fister remains an important part of the push for the post season with Price sidelined.

Fister is currently 3-6 with an ERA of 4.78. Porcello occupies the same bracket, although last year’s Cy Young winner has shown signs of improvement of late. The front office has a lot of faith in Fister, even if fans don’t. He will be around for the playoffs.

The Red Sox should make the playoffs if Sale and Co. continue to perform, and the offense provides run support. Getting to the play offs is one thing, winning the post season is another. Can the pitching staff as a whole get it done in the play offs?

Post Season Pitching

The Royals and the Indians proved how a different way of pitching can succeed in the post season. Francona showed in 2016 that the traditional divisions between starters and relievers get blurred. Starters, like Kluber, and relievers like Miller, had to get used to a different regime during October.

That regime was designed to ensure pitchers could pitch at their best in Game Seven of the World Series showdown. The Royals had a clear plan in 2015. Get a lead by the seventh and then call for the lights-out bullpen.

It’s not clear whether Farrell has a clear plan but he needs one and the right personnel to make it work. As we stand, it’s the management of bullpen that is shaky not the starters.

If Price returns, pitches well and the rest of the rotation is healthy, expect Fister to join the bullpen. Fister could yet prove to be the unexpected treasure for the Red Sox.

The Resurgence of the Boston Red Sox

Leave a reply

Since the trade deadline (July 31, 2017), the Boston Red Sox seem unstoppable.  Since then, they stand 12-2 and have outscored their opponents 85-52 (+33 run differential). They have the highest runs scored per game in the league at 6.15.

Three of those 12 wins have resulted from a walk off.  Christian Vazquez hit a three run homer on August 1st against the Cleveland Indians, possibly the greatest game this season.  Mitch Moreland hit a solo shot against the Chicago White Sox on August 4th, and Mookie Betts blasted a two RBI double against the Green Monster on August 16th against interleague rival, the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Sox have definitely undergone a facelift.  With the addition of Eduardo Nunez from the San Francisco Giants and the calling up of Rafael Devers, the lineup has been impressive.

Big Bats

In just 17 games with the Red Sox, Nunez is batting .372 with four big home runs, 13 RBI’s, six doubles and only striking out 12 times in 78 at bats.  Since joining the Red Sox on July 28th, they have a 14-4 record.  In the previous 18 games, the Red Sox were 7-11.

Rafael Devers, A.K.A. The Prophecy, has been my favorite player this year and he’s only played in 18 games. At the age of 20, he’s posting ridiculous numbers, currently batting .348 with six home runs, 13 RBI’s, four doubles, and an OPS of 1.082.  Also, he’s currently on a six game hitting streak, going 9 for 24 (.409) with three home runs and six RBI’s.

Andrew Benintendi has been on fire this month. In 12 games, he’s batting .413 with five home runs, 13 RBI’s, three doubles, and has scored 13 times. He also has the best flow in the game. *Cough. Rookie of the year! Cough *

Starting Five

The starting rotation has also been a huge factor in the recent success.  Since July 31st, Red Sox starting pitchers have pitched a combined 69.0 innings and have struck out 78 batters (Chris Sale, Drew Pomeranz, Rick Porcello, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Doug Fister).

Chris Sale is 3-0 during that span posting a 3.60 ERA (high because he let up seven earned runs against the Indians), struck out 30 and has only allowed 14 hits in 20 innings.  Opponents’ batting average — just .187 in three games.

Drew Pomeranz has really proved to Red Sox Nation what he can do. Since July 31st, he’s 2-0 with a 2.77 ERA and has struck out 13 in 13.0 innings.  Opponents’ batting average is a little high at .264 but he’s only allowed four earned runs.

The Pen

Other than the big bats and the resurgence of our starting pitchers, the bullpen has been WOWZA. Lights out. Amazing. Couldn’t ask for anything more.  This season the Red Sox bullpen is 22-13 with a 3.01 ERA (3rd best in the MLB). Craig Kimbrel and Matt Barnes have really caught my attention.

In his past seven games, Kimbrel has gone 3-0 with 14 strikeouts in 7.1 innings, and allowed two earned runs against the Indians on August 1st (nothing since then).  It’s pretty much a guaranteed win/save every time he pitches.  He’s 5-0 on the season with a 1.41 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 51.0 innings.

In the month of August, Matt Barnes has pitched 8.1 innings, striking out eight and only allowing one run on just two hits.  Opponents’ batting average this month is just 0.080.  During that span, he has faced 30 batters and 22% of outs have been line drives, 11% pop ups, and 27% have been strikeouts.  He’s allowed two inherited scores this season (both on April 3rd) and hasn’t allowed any in August and has only allowed three inherited runners on base.  Barnes has also lowered his ERA from 3.60 to 3.24 in eight games.

Hopefully this resurgence continues all throughout August and into the Fall Classic.  With the heavy bats now in our lineup and the solidity of our starting pitchers and bullpen, I believe this team can go very far, if not all the way.