BOSTON — The Red Sox’s offense has overcome subpar pitching performances on several occasions this season. But on a day in which Boston stranded 12 runners, the Sox needed at least a little help from its pitching staff.
Rick Porcello didn’t have his best stuff Sunday, but he still managed to play his part.
The Red Sox right-hander picked up his seventh win of the season, allowing two runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings in a 5-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park.
Porcello’s brief outing looked like it was going to be even shorter after the first two innings, which saw him surrender three hits, a walk and a hit batsman on 56 pitches. But the 27-year-old pulled it together, retiring 11 of the final 13 batters he faced before handing the reins to the bullpen with two outs in the sixth.
“He needed to go a little bit deeper (Sunday), given where we were with the bullpen, and didn’t want to expose guys with too lengthy outings coming out of that ‘pen,” manager John Farrell said of Porcello. “Rick, on a day when it was kind of a blue-collar outing for him, did a very good job.”
The last two outings haven’t been great for Porcello, who was touched for five runs (four earned) in just five innings of work in his last start against the Kansas City Royals. Prior to that outing, he had gone six innings or more in all seven of his starts and allowed three runs or fewer in six of them.
So, what’s caused Porcello’s latest struggles? Farrell thinks it’s the right-hander’s go-to pitch.
“I think the one thing is the sinker isn’t as consistent as it’s been of late,” Farrell said. “That’s something that he continues to work on in between starts. Whether it’s a tendency to overthrow on occasion, I’m going to say that’s what it is, but the sink isn’t necessarily as consistent as we’ve seen the first seven, eight starts of the season.”
Porcello might not have all of his pitches working at optimum level, but the fact that he still was able to limit Cleveland to two runs — especially with the offense he has behind him — is a good sign.
Click for the Red Sox Wrap >>
Let’s hit a few other note from Red Sox-Indians:
— Porcello’s bullpen picked him up and then some. A five-pitcher relief effort of Matt Barnes, Tommy Layne, Heath Hembree, Koji Uehara and Craig Kimbrel combined to allow just one hit over the last 2 1/3 innings to slam the door on Cleveland.
“They come in, we matched up, and they did their job, as they’ve been doing all year,” Farrell said of his bullpen.
— Blake Swihart seems to be picking things up quickly in left field. He barehanded a carom off the Green Monster in the first inning to hold Jason Kipnis to a single, then made a nice running catch on a slicing Lonnie Chisenhall fly ball in the second.
“He has played relaxed,” Farrell said of Swihart. “His routes, at least (Sunday), in which he was challenged a couple times, were spot-on. He’s done a fine job in the three games.”
— David Ortiz’s fifth-inning home run as part of his big day gave the Red Sox at least one homer in 22 consecutive games. The 2002 Texas Rangers hold the Major League Baseball record for most consecutive games with a homer at 27.
— Indians first baseman Mike Napoli had one of the worst series you’ll ever see against his former team. He went 0-for-13 with a whopping nine strikeouts during the three game set and after his fifth-inning K on Sunday had struck out eight consecutive times.
— Farrell weighed in before Sunday’s game on the latest reports that MLB plans to change the strike zone as early as the 2017 season. While the new zone could affect hitters, Farrell noted that it could be a challenge for umpires, as well.
“There’s going to be some adjustment required by all once that new strike zone is redefined,” Farrell said. “… Utmost respect for umpires. That’s a very difficult job. And when you’re talking about maybe a two- to three-inch difference at mid-to-upper 90s? That’s a really fine adjustment.”
— Eduardo Rodriguez threw a “productive” bullpen session before Sunday’s game and will make a rehab start with Pawtucket on Tuesday, Farrell confirmed.
The 23-year-old left-hander suffered a setback earlier this week in rehabbing his injured left knee but appears to be back on track after getting fitted for a new knee brace.
— Ryan Hanigan still is day-to-day with a left hand contusion. The Red Sox catcher was hit by a pitch in Saturday’s game and exited in the sixth inning.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
