Garrett Richards Knew He Needed To ‘Adapt Or Die’ Amid Sticky Stuff Crackdown

Garrett Richards on Friday accomplished what had recently become exceptionally challenging.

After a winless streak that dated back eight games (to May 19), the veteran earned the victory as the Boston Red Sox pummeled the Philadelphia Phillies 11-5 at Fenway Park.

But that was the thing for Richards — even amid his recent struggles, he never considered he wouldn’t recover.

After going 0-3 with a 6.34 ERA through the starts leading into Friday — allowing no fewer than two earned runs in each outing and as many as six at one point — he finished the night with seven hits, three runs, four strikeouts and a walk over five innings.

“I never in my mind ever thought that I would not be able to figure it out,” he told reporters Friday night via Zoom. “It was just frustrating that I had to do it in the middle of the season. That was my beef with the whole thing.”

The 33-year-old last month ripped MLB’s new policies amid the crackdown on the use of sticky substances, which coincided with his downward trend. Richards said he wished the changes came in the offseason so he would have the opportunity to get used to it before teams were in the thick of the season, but offered a positive update and told reporters he’s “starting to figure some things out.”

After all, he knows that has to.

“Just like me, a lot of other guys are going to figure out a way to be successful,” he told reporters. “It’s adapt or die at this point.”