In John Farrell’s impromptu team meeting Monday night, the Boston Red Sox manager called on his pitching staff to “set the tone and lead the way from the mound.”
Apparently Rick Porcello got the message, because he took those words to heart Tuesday.
The Red Sox right-hander allowed just one run over six innings against the Tampa Bay Rays, striking out eight batters to help lift Boston to an 8-2 win at Tropicana Field. It wasn’t a gem by any means, but given how the Red Sox’s starters have performed recently, it was exactly what the doctor ordered.
Porcello got off on the right foot simply by pitching a scoreless first inning, something Boston had done just three times in its last 11 games. But the 27-year-old’s best moment came in the fourth inning. After suddenly losing control to walk three batters and issuing a bases-loaded free pass that cut the Sox’s lead to 2-1, Porcello bore down, striking out Hank Conger, inducing a shallow pop fly by Logan Forsythe and punching out Brett Miller to end the inning.
“He had his back against the wall in those first four innings, but he did an outstanding job,” Farrell said of Porcello, as aired on NESN’s “Extra Innings Live.” “Even when he lost a little bit of the strike zone in the fourth inning, he didn’t give in.
“… It’s almost like the more tired he got in that ballgame, the better command overall and the better (sinker)Â that he was able to produce. Good to see Rick go out, set the tone and keep the game under control through six innings.”
Keeping things under control has been a rare occurrence lately for the Red Sox, who saw Eduardo Rodriguez implode Monday night and entered Tuesday with a team ERA of 4.39. Yet with the exception of Steven Wright, who is making a surprising All-Star case, Porcello has been Boston’s most reliable arm. Tuesday’s win improved his record to a team-best 9-2 to go along with a 3.73 ERA, and he’s allowed three runs or fewer in 11 of his 16 starts this season.
Most importantly, Porcello has shown the ability on several occasions to work out of tough jams, displaying grit and resolve to keep his team in ballgames.
“He stayed in the moment,” Farrell said of Porcello’s fourth inning Tuesday. “You saw him regroup a couple times, walk off the back of the mound, collect his thoughts, understand what the pitch is that he wanted to execute, and he went out and did it. Very solid work from him.”
The Red Sox have plenty of questions surrounding their pitching staff, but Porcello proved once again he’s not one of them.
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
