Alex Cora Notes Specific Aspect Behind Garrett Whitlock Improvement

Garrett Whitlock had arguably his best start of the season at Fenway Park on Wednesday night to help the Boston Red Sox avoid a series sweep against the Colorado Rockies.

Whitlock threw 78% of his pitches for strikes (72 of 92) and struck out a season-high seven batters in Boston’s eventual 6-3 victory. He scattered six hits and allowed just two earned runs in the seven-inning outing, which also tied his longest of the campaign.

It marked the second straight start in which Whitlock surpassed six innings and allowed two runs or less, now having four of such games this season.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora pointed to a specific aspect relating to Whitlock’s pitch mix for his increased production.

“That slider is a good one and the changeup is a lot different than last year towards the end and early this season,” Cora told reporters after the win, per MassLive’s Christopher Smith.

Whitlock has thrown his slider 50.2% of the time this season, according to Baseball Savant, while opposing batters are hitting just .156 against his sweeper.

“It’s closer to what it was in 2021. It’s a swing-and-miss pitch,” Cora continued. “He can use it against lefties and righties. With the combination of the bigger slider now, the sweeper, it’s tough.”

With Whitlock and a five-run seventh inning headlining Boston’s series-salvaging win Wednesday, the Red Sox will enjoy an off day Thursday before welcoming the New York Yankees for a weekend series starting Friday.