BOSTON — Could’ve been better. Could’ve been worse.
That’s the Red Sox’s doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins at Fenway Park in a nutshell, as Boston won the first game 6-3 with a strong, energetic performance and lost the second game 2-0 with a weak, lifeless effort. In many ways, the contrast was indicative of the Red Sox’s season as a whole.
Newton’s third law — for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction — certainly applies to the 2015 Red Sox. For every pro, there seemingly is a con. So let’s run down the positives and negatives of Boston’s twin bill.
Positives
— Eduardo Rodriguez looks like the real deal.
Rodriguez, who allowed only one run on two hits over seven innings, solidified a spot in Boston’s rotation with his performance in the first game. The 22-year-old left-hander is off to a historic start.
The questions now center on Rodriguez’s ceiling and whether he can sustain such a high level of success. There likely will be growing pains at some point, but given how poised and confident he has looked on the mound in his two major league starts, it seems foolish to bet against him right now.
Rodriguez’s emphatic arrival means someone else probably will be booted from the rotation the next turn through. Steven Wright thus could be pitching for his rotation life in Thursday’s series finale, though Joe Kelly’s spot isn’t exactly safe, either, despite slight improvement Sunday in Texas.
— Rick Porcello is back on track.
Porcello went 0-2 and yielded 13 earned runs over 11 1/3 innings in his previous two starts. The right-hander appeared to be headed down a similar path through two innings, as he allowed two runs on three hits in the second, but he quickly figured things out and retired 19 of the final 20 batters he faced.
Porcello lasted eight innings and surrendered just the two runs on five hits. He didn’t walk anyone, struck out five and kept the ball in the yard for the first time in four starts.
— Dustin Pedroia is a leadoff expert.
Pedroia has swung the bat extremely well since moving from the two-hole to the top of the order. He was the only player to collect a hit in both games, going 4-for-5 in Game 1 and 1-for-4 in Game 2.
— David Ortiz looks more comfortable despite going hitless in the second game.
Ortiz drilled two doubles in the first game, which ought to make principal owner John Henry smile one day after expressing a desire for more doubles. It was Ortiz’s first two-double game of the season.
— There are times when Xander Bogaerts looks like he gets it.
Bogaerts went 0-for-3 in the second game, but the shortstop collected three hits in the first game and, for the most part, has been playing well. In the process, he’s been showing a lot of enthusiasm.
Such energy doesn’t always guarantee success. It’s encouraging to see from a young player on a struggling team, though, because the Red Sox need all the zest they can get right now.
Negatives
— Offensive inconsistency persists.
The Red Sox made Trevor May look like a Cy Young candidate, when in reality the 25-year-old entered the game with a 6.42 ERA in 19 career appearances (18 starts).
No one in Boston’s starting lineup had ever faced May, so unfamiliarity probably played a role in the team’s issues. But these are big league hitters and, like Henry stressed Tuesday, adjustments must be made — game-by-game, inning-by-inning, pitch-by-pitch.
— Alexi Ogando surrendered a two-run homer in the ninth inning of the first game.
Wednesday marked the second time in his last three appearances that he allowed two runs on three hits, as he also gave up a pair of runs over two thirds of an inning Friday in Texas.
Ogando’s ERA has jumped from 2.95 on May 26 to 4.15.
— Hanley Ramirez committed another error in left field. So yeah, that whole thing’s still an issue.
— The Red Sox’s energy just evaporated.
There was so much buzz after Rodriguez’s gem that it was fair to wonder whether Boston would carry the momentum into the night game. That wasn’t the case, however, as the Red Sox looked like zombies.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
