When the Boston Red Sox acquired Doug Fister off waivers on June 23, he seemingly was just an arm to help weather the storm as the team dealt with injuries. Now, the right-hander has become a rock at the back-end of Boston’s starting rotation.
Fister turned in another impressive outing Friday night against the New York Yankees, tossing seven innings in which he allowed just one run on four hits with five strikeouts. Boston’s bats capitalized on Fister’s strong performance, and the Sox cruised to a 4-1 victory at Yankee Stadium.
The 33-year-old didn’t get off to the best start, allowing back-to-back doubles to Brett Gardner and Aaron Judge to lead off the game, giving the Yankees an early edge. But Fister settled down, and only allowed two hits in the remainder of his outing.
After the game, Red Sox manager John Farrell explained what has made Fister so successful in his past few starts.
“He’s been a major boost to this team and our rotation,” Farrell said, as seen on NESN’s Red Sox postgame coverage. “As we’ve seen in a number of starts, once he establishes his release point — and that might take him an inning or two — he settles in and constantly, on both sides of the plate, changes speeds. Tonight, once again the effective use of his curveball to keep some hitters from rushing out to get a sinker. He just settles in and pitches to contact, pitches ahead in the count. And when he’s behind in the count, he has an off-speed pitch to go to. Seven strong innings once again from Doug.”
Fister isn’t a superstar, but the nine-year MLB veteran showcases his class and experience every time he takes the hill.
“He pitches with such conviction,” Farrell said. “You see it in his body language and you see it in his attack plan. He’s got a clear understanding of what he’s trying to do on the mound. That’s a testament to the work he puts in, the preparation he goes through. He’s a veteran guy that knows what his capabilities and his limitations are.”
Starting pitching has been a strong suit for the Red Sox for the majority of the season, and Fister, in a pleasant surprise, has added to that in spades.
Here are some other notes from Red Sox-Yankees.
— Andrew Benintendi blasted a solo shot in the fifth inning. The 23-year-old outfielder now has five home runs at Yankee Stadium this season.
— Hanley Ramirez continues to stay red-hot for Boston. The slugger’s homer marked the third in his past five games since being moved to the seventh spot in the order.
— Dustin Pedroia looked steady in his first game back since being activated from the disabled list. The veteran infielder notched a single and played strong defense, but it appears the Red Sox will ease Pedroia back into action.
— Pedroia was welcomed back to the big leagues with an absolute scorcher from Yankees reliever Aroldis Chapman.
— Boston had a series of call-ups Friday afternoon, and it looks like more are on the way.
Thumbnail photo via Andy Marlin/USA TODAY Sports Images
