In a season that has seen the Boston Red Sox lose Steven Wright for the season and David Price and Eduardo Rodriguez for extended periods of time, Drew Pomeranz has given Boston everything it could have asked for, and much more.
Pomeranz dazzled again Saturday in the Red Sox’s 4-1 win over the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park. The left-hander now has won five consecutive decisions and has been Boston’s second-best starter this season after All-Star Chris Sale.
Pomeranz now has allowed two runs or fewer in eight of his last 10 starts and has a 2.24 ERA in those outings.
On Saturday, Pomeranz featured what might have been his sharpest curveball of the season, using it to stymie the White Sox’s offense over 6 1/3 innings. The crafty lefty gave up a lead-off home run to Tim Anderson but locked down Chicago from that point forward, scattering seven hits while striking out eight and walking one.
Manager John Farrell lauded Pomeranz’s consistency after the game, highlighting how important the left-hander has been to a rotation that has gone without key members for long stretches of time.
“It’s big,” Farrell said, as seen on NESN’s Red Sox postgame coverage. “Anytime you get a guy who’s going to the mound every fifth day and pitching as effectively as Drew has, low runs — I thought (Saturday) he had a very good curveball, and I thought (Christian Vazquez) blocked numerous curveballs. He threw that pitch with a lot of confidence.
Pomeranz, for his part, believes the key to his strong season has been effectively executing his pitches.
“My pitches have been really consistent, (and) my control has been consistent with them for the most part,” Pomeranz said, as seen on NESN’s Red Sox postgame coverage. “My curveball came back and was really good (Saturday), which is something I don’t feel like I’ve had most times out, but it showed up (Saturday) and I just kept throwing it.”
Pomeranz hasn’t suffered a loss since June 11 against the Detroit Tigers, and his stellar stellar since a four-inning start against the Oakland Athletics on May 20 (8-1, 2.61 ERA in 14 outings) has him positioned to be one of Boston’s top starters come playoff time.
Here are more notes from Red Sox vs. White Sox.
— Carson Smith pitched in his first rehab outing for Double-A Portland on Saturday. He faced four batters, walking the first three before getting the final batter to fly out to left field. He was lifted after 18 pitches. He will pitch for Triple-A Pawtucket on Tuesday.
— Andrew Benintendi snapped an 86 at-bat homerless streak with his two-run blast in the first inning Saturday. Benintendi’s 57 RBIs are the most by a Red Sox rookie since Brian Daubach (73) in 1999.
— Opponents are hitting just .190 with runners in scoring position against Pomeranz.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
