BOSTON — No ace is safe against these Red Sox.
While it’s been a disastrous season for the Red Sox on so many levels, a strange trend has emerged from the ashes. Boston (almost inexplicably) has a knack for beating up on other teams’ best pitchers.
Case in point: Johnny Cueto.
Few would dispute that Cueto qualifies as an “ace.” He’s a legitimate front-line starter and one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball, no matter how you slice it. It’s why the Kansas City Royals acquired him from the Cincinnati Reds last month while gearing up for their World Series push despite knowing full well he’ll likely sign elsewhere in free agency this winter. And it’s why the next contract he signs could rival the seven-year, $210 million deal Max Scherzer inked with the Washington Nationals last offseason.
Yet, the Red Sox made Cueto look normal Friday night at Fenway Park, much like they’ve done to other No. 1 starters this season. So, what gives?
“I just think this team is capable of doing special things at any special moment, and it doesn’t matter who’s on the mound,” acting Red Sox manager Torey Lovullo said after Friday’s 7-2 win. “Tonight we rose to the occasion. Tonight we hit some quality pitches. … We just had some quality at-bats.
“Our guys are locked in. Our guys are handing it off to the next guy in line and things are moving very, very well for us. There’s a lot of good conversation in the dugout, our guys are very focused with their approach. Behind the scenes we’re working very hard to prepare ourselves and it’s translating.”
Cueto allowed seven runs (six earned) on a career-high 13 hits over six innings. It was the first time Cueto surrendered as many as six earned runs since Sept. 16, 2014, and it was the first time the right-hander scattered double-digit hits in a start since June 21, 2013.
For a glimpse of how good Cueto can be, one only needs to look as far as his last nine starts before Friday, in which he posted a 1.69 ERA.
“Every fifth day I have confidence with this lineup coming out there getting 10-plus hits every single day,” said Red Sox starter Henry Owens, who yielded just two runs (one earned) on four hits over eight innings Friday in his fourth big league start. “So I’m just going to try and roll with it in another five days in Chicago (against the White Sox).”
The Red Sox’s offense certainly looks like an entirely different unit nowadays after struggling at times earlier this season. But its success against top-notch talent definitely is an interesting twist for a team still sitting 10 games below .500 (56-66) after winning four straight on the current homestand.
The Red Sox defeated reigning American League Cy Young award winner Corey Kluber earlier this week, giving Boston an 8-3 record against former Cy Young winners. While that isn’t a perfect snap shot of Boston’s work against good pitching — Justin Verlander, R.A. Dickey and CC Sabathia no longer are the same pitchers, after all — other signs suggest the Red Sox are capable of playing up to the competition.
Boston has handed losses to Cueto, Kluber of the Cleveland Indians, Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners, Sonny Gray of the Oakland Athletics, Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox, Chris Archer of the Tampa Bay Rays (twice), Scott Kazmir of the Houston Astros, Hector Santiago of the Los Angeles Angels and Shelby Miller of the Atlanta Braves.
Pitchers who entered Friday ranked in the top 15 in the AL in ERA own a combined 3.75 ERA against the Red Sox this season, whereas those same pitchers own a 2.93 ERA against all other opponents.
Perhaps it’s a coincidence, but more likely, it speaks to the potential of the Red Sox’s offense when everything’s clicking and Boston is receiving contributions from up and down its lineup.
It’s on to the next ace.
Thumbnail photo via Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY Sports Images
