The Boston Red Sox have done quite a bit of shuffling when it comes to their pitchers.
We’ve seen Nathan Eovaldi and Andrew Cashner — both normally starters — make their way to the bullpen this season, as well as a slew of pitchers coming up from Triple-A Pawtucket while others like Ryan Brasier and Hector Velazquez now are with the PawSox.
The bullpen has been used frequently this year due to the starters struggling or Boston needing someone like Brian Johnson to serve as the “opener” before heading to the relievers after just a few short innings. But the six relief pitchers used after Johnson on Wednesday in the Red Sox’s 5-1 win over the Cleveland Indians were a big reason they were able to secure a series victory.
Sure, Xander Bogaerts’ two home run and four RBIs helped, but the bullpen held one of the American League’s best hitting teams to two hits and no runs. So, how long does Alex Cora plan to use the bullpen this way?
“We’re about to find out, honestly,” the manager on NESN’s Red Sox postgame coverage. “We put ourselves in a bad position, but we understand we have a shot to make some ground. The season is not over, we got a month-and-a-half. … We’ll figure it out … we just need people to get outs and keep moving forward.”
Boston currently sits 7.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the second wild-card spot. A lot can happen in a month-and-a-half, and it seems Cora and Co. are ready for the home stretch.
