Will the Boston Red Sox’s No. 3 starting pitcher please stand up?
The Red Sox have been searching for a starter to plug-in behind ace Chris Sale and left-hander Drew Pomeranz in their postseason starting rotation, but no one has made a strong case.
Rick Porcello, fresh off winning the 2016 American League Cy Young Award, has suffered a brutal 2017 season, as he leads the league in losses (17) and home runs allowed (38). The right-hander has struggled with his command all year, routinely leaving his sinker up in the zone and missing the corners with his four-seam fastball. Porcello would seem to be the likely choice given his 2016 success, but his penchant for giving up the long ball could see him land in the bullpen to begin the playoffs.
Eduardo Rodriguez had pitched well in September and looked primed to grab the third spot before he was hammered in a 12-2 loss to the Houston Astros on Thursday. The left-hander lasted just 1 2/3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits, and looked like an unreliable choice to take the ball in October. The lefty has gone 6-7 with a 4.19 ERA in 2017, but he has failed to avoid the big inning all season which would cause issues in the grinder that is the MLB postseason.
And that leaves Doug Fister.
The veteran right-hander had a rough beginning to September but bounced back in his final two outings of the regular season. Fister gave up six earned runs in his last 10 1/3 innings and held his own Friday against the Red Sox’s likely opponent in the American League Division Series — the Houston Astros.
Fister got into an early jam in the first inning when the Astros put runners on second and third with no outs. The veteran was able to wiggle out of the jam without giving up a run, though, which is something Rodriguez was unable to do Thursday. All in all, Fister gave up three runs on five hits while striking out five and walking one in 5 1/3 innings against Houston’s powerful lineup.
While it was a solid outing, Fister still was saddled with the loss, as Boston fell 3-2.
Another thing to note is that Fister has been successful during his career in the postseason, going 4-2 with a 2.60 ERA in eight postseason starts.
Red Sox manager John Farrell still is looking for his No. 3 starter, and the back end of the starting rotation hasn’t made the decision easy. But Fister presented the best case Friday night.
Here are more notes from Red Sox vs. Astros.
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— David Price has been dominant out of the bullpen.
David Price in 4 relief appearances since coming off the DL:
7.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 11 K. Opponents 3 for 25.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) September 30, 2017
— Craig Kimbrel appears ready for the pressure of the playoffs.
Kimbrel’s last 12 games: 12 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 20 K. Opponents 3 for 38. His ERA is 1.32
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) September 30, 2017
— Brock Holt is confident the Red Sox will clinch the American League East on Saturday.
Brock Holt: "We've got a pretty good team in here. We'll come out and win tomorrow."
— Chris Mason (@ByChrisMason) September 30, 2017
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
