Stretching the rotation
Seven pitchers for seven days
How about a seven-man rotation?
Yesterday, the Red Sox revealed their pitching plans for the week, and the club will use seven different starters for seven games.
After missing six weeks with a knee injury, Eduardo Rodriguez was activated from the disabled list to start last night’s 4-3 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. But because of Saturday’s 16-inning game and Sunday’s doubleheader with the New York Yankees, plans have changed.
Doug Fister will no longer start tonight. He threw 22⁄ innings Saturday and will now get four days of rest before going in Thursday’s series finale against the Blue Jays. Instead, it’ll be Brian Johnson arriving from the minors to go tonight.
Drew Pomeranz stays on turn to start tomorrow night and Chris Sale will be pushed from Thursday to Friday’s series opener against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim, Calif. That leaves David Price on Saturday and Rick Porcello on Sunday to face the Angels. Seven days. Seven starters. “Obviously with Doug having to pitch out of the bullpen the other night, we’ve pushed him back to Thursday, which is normally Chris’ start,” manager John Farrell said. “But after a high-leverage nearly eight innings of work (in his last start), we’re going to build an extra day of rest for him, so he’ll go first game out against LA.”
Farrell wanted to keep lefties Rodriguez and Price from pitching back to back, since they’re both primarily fastball-changeup guys.
“The two most similar might be Eddie and David,” Farrell said. “Just trying to split those two guys up, where Chris has got a different arm slot, different type of stuff, different action on the breaking balls.”
Giving Sale an extra day of rest doesn’t hurt, either. He’s on pace for a career high in innings.
“The way the schedule balances out, and we would look to take advantage of the off days for all our guys as the innings are starting to pile up,” Farrell said. “He’ll go on his regular fifth day the next time through but then there’s an off day built in, an extra day the following time through that.”
Johnson hasn’t pitched for the Sox since he was removed in the third inning of a June 14 start due to a shoulder impingement. He threw seven scoreless innings in his last appearance for Triple-A Pawtucket.
E-Rod back at it
Having suffered the same dislocation of his knee two times before, Rodriguez was hopeful he was more prepared to make a speedy recovery. While his rehab process was hasty at times, it took him three starts in the minors — two bad, one good — to earn his return to the big leagues.
Rodriguez wasn’t sharp in his return, making it through 51⁄ innings allowing three runs, striking out eight and walking four. He got a no decision, pitching with reduced velocity (averaging 93 mph compared to his usual 94 mph) and without his sharpest command.
“When I have good fastball command I can throw as hard as I can,” Rodriguez said. “That’s easy to do. When you can throw the fastball right when you want it, you can throw as hard as you can. When you’re not, you can’t throw as hard so you can locate the fastball.”
He got a big strikeout to end the fourth inning, a key double play on a nice defensive snag from Brock Holt at third base to end the fifth and started the sixth by striking out Troy Tulowitzki on a fastball down and in.
Prior to slipping in the bullpen and allowing seven runs in his last start, Rodriguez had a 2.77 ERA.
Lin heads south
Tzu-Wei Lin was optioned to Pawtucket before the game. He hit .280 with a .379 on-base percentage while filling in at third base, second base and shortstop.
Reliever Austin Maddux was also optioned to make room for Rodriguez.
After the game, reliever Robbie Scott was packing up his stuff and it appears he’ll be sent to Pawtucket to make room for Johnson.
Protest denied
Longtime Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay said it best during Saturday’s game, “The Yankees caught a break here.” The Sox got nothing from it after playing the game under protest.
It looked clear as day that Matt Holliday should’ve been called for interference when he slid back into first base to break up a double play after he was ruled out at second. Farrell argued the call and, after about 10 minutes of discussion, the umpires did nothing about it.
Farrell heard yesterday that his protest was denied.
“Not surprised because there’s a series of factors that are weighed in this,” he said. “I’m a little disappointed this isn’t a reviewable play. When the umpires went to the headset the other night it was for rules and interpretation, it wasn’t for review of the play.
“I’d like to see everything be reviewable to be honest with you, even check swings.”
PawSox fun time
This is the week to visit McCoy Stadium to catch some PawSox baseball. Top prospect Rafael Devers was in the lineup playing third base last night in his third game in Triple A. Devers may not last there if the Sox can’t find a third baseman at the trade deadline.
The promotions at McCoy also add to the fun: Friday is David Ortiz Replica Jersey Night for the first 3,000 fans, Saturday is Jackie Bradley Jr. bobblehead night for the first 3,000 (and fireworks, too), and on Sunday former first baseman Mo Vaughn and manager Joe Morgan will be enshrined in the PawSox Hall of Fame.