To say Brandon Workman has been an absolute force for the Boston Red Sox would be an understatement.
The relief pitcher tossed a scoreless, hitless seventh inning with a strikeout in Boston’s 8-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night at Camden Yards. But his success has been consistent, and he has the numbers to prove it, which The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham dug up.
“He’s been amazing against lefties and righties,” manager Alex Cora said after the game, as seen on NESN’s Red Sox postgame coverage. “He’s a guy we can bring in to get the last out one inning and then he can go out there and pitch. … The breaking ball has been amazing. … he’s a different pitcher. He seems like he’s keeping his stuff throughout the week regardless of the usage. He’s done an outstanding job for us.”
His numbers certainly speak for themselves. Workman has tossed 16 2/3 innings this season and has given up just two hits, three earned runs, while striking out 23.
Here are some other notes from Tuesday’s Red Sox-Orioles game:
— J.D. Martinez belted his fifth home run of the season in the first inning. It not only gave Boston a 2-0 lead, it marked the slugger’s 200th homer of his career.
It also was the first home run Martinez hit against a right-handed pitcher this season, and Cora made sure his player knew that.
“He thought I was congratulating him because it was 200,” Cora said. “But it was actually because it was the first one against a righty this season.”
— Marcus Walden was credited with the win. The relief pitcher now is 5-0 with a 1.77 ERA this season.
— Mitch Moreland hit his team-leading 10th home run in the fifth inning to break the 3-3 tie.
— Moreland and Martinez drove in six of Boston’s eight runs.
— Matt Barnes earned his third save of the season.
