It may only be one week into the season, but the Boston Red Sox starting rotation is something to talk about.
Despite Chris Sale and David Price having no decisions under their belts, it’s what they and the rest of the starters have done so far this season that’s impressive.
Through two starts, Price is 1-0 with 10 strikeouts and hasn’t allowed a run in 29 1/3 innings dating back to this past September, including two appearances in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Sale has yet to get a win through two starts, but he’s pitched exceptionally well, posting a 0.82 ERA with 15 strikeouts in 11 innings.
Rick Porcello (1.69 ERA), Hector Velazquez (1.35 ERA) and Brian Johnson (1.50 ERA) all have made phenomenal starts to begin the season. In fact, the rotation as a whole is the best in baseball through the first week.
When Sox manager Alex Cora was asked about the impressive starts of his rotation, he had a simple answer:
“It’s what we expected,” Cora said, via WEEI.com.
With a rotation missing three of its starters in Eduardo Rodriguez, Drew Pomeranz and Steven Wright, there were some questions surrounding Boston’s pitching. But in the first week alone, the starting five has shut down any doubt that there may have been.
So how are they doing it?
It’s easy to say they’ve faced lineups that struggle offensively in the Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins, but the starters are going deep into games, collecting strikeouts and providing the offense with some protection.
The Sox are fifth in fewest pitches per start with 86, and are averaging 14.3 pitches per inning, the fewest in the majors, per WEEI’s Rob Bradford. Boston’s ERA also is astonishing, sitting at a league-best 0.86, which is more than a run better than the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team with a 1.99 ERA.
The starters also set an MLB record through the first week with each of the five pitchers not allowing more than one run in their starts.
Boston closes out the series against the struggling Rays on Sunday before their rotation will face their biggest offensive challenge yet when the New York Yankees come to Fenway Park on Tuesday.
The bad news for the Yankees? They’ll have to face Sale and Price in their first two games, with Porcello set to take the mound in the finale.
