After-Sale commotion
No. 2 starter not obvious down stretch
NEW YORK — Part of the job description of an ace is to be the stopper, so it’s totally reasonable to expect Chris Sale to step up tonight, bring the Yankees to their knees and give the Red Sox a split in this series. Fine. But with Drew Pomeranz delivering a rare, for him, poor start against the Yankees yesterday, Eduardo Rodriguez deserving the loss in Game 1 and Doug Fister cruising for the win on Friday, it’s not so simple to place the Red Sox’ hopes and dreams squarely on the shoulders of the rest of the rotation.
Right now, each of the bottom four has a concern to be monitored. The picture isn’t dismal or gloomy by any means, especially when compared to other rotations, but it’s challenging to get jazzed up about how dominating and how deep this Red Sox rotation truly is.
It’s not even clear who their second-best starter is.
As the four enter the stretch run, they pose as many questions as answers.
Drew Pomeranz
Pomeranz gave up four runs on eight hits, the biggest coming on Matt Holliday’s three-run blast in the sixth inning. One batter later, Pomeranz was out of the game after 105 pitches in 51⁄3 innings.
The performance absolutely does not warrant alarm bells. It was the first time in Pomeranz’ last eight starts in which he allowed more than three runs, and it was his first loss since June 11. That’s right, he did not lose throughout 14 consecutive starts and the three-run home run was just the second such blast he has allowed all season.
“The whole game I wasn’t as sharp as I would like to be,” said Pomeranz, who also allowed a solo home run to Chase Headley. “At the end of the day it’s really two pitches that hurt me.”
Pomeranz’ start was a reminder that when he pitches, the Red Sox need to have a fresh bullpen at the ready. Pomeranz does not pitch deep into games. He has completed seven innings just once in 27 starts this season, and on average, he’s lifted somewhere in the sixth inning of every start. Right now, logic and statistics — 3.36 ERA — dictate that he is still the second-best pitcher in the rotation, and if he were to start pitching after Sale’s presumably deep starts, the Sox bullpen would be fresh and on alert. That’s not particularly reassuring, but it’s the truth.
Rick Porcello
Unlike Pomeranz, Porcello is a starter who can be relied upon to pitch deep into games. He has averaged 61⁄3 innings per start, which means that in a decent start from him, the Red Sox could see a game in which their best two relievers, Addison Reed and closer Craig Kimbrel, work the eighth and ninth innings.
The issue, however, is whether or not the bullpen will have a lead to protect. The Red Sox offense has been notoriously stingy on run support for Porcello this season — the lineup has produced two or fewer runs in 12 of Porcello’s 28 starts — plus he hasn’t been close to his 2016 Cy Young self. It appeared as if he was starting to turn himself around in July, with a 3.06 ERA over five starts, then August arrived and he posted a 4.04 ERA over six outings. He is pitching better than he was in the first half and perhaps he has turned the corner: He has allowed only one run in two of his last three starts. If Pomeranz should falter and Porcello surges in September, a 1-2 punch of Sale and Porcello could be a more potent combo than any other.
Doug Fister
The gem Fister threw here Friday — one run allowed over seven innings — and the complete game he threw two starts before against the Indians have meant a 1.57 ERA over his last three starts. He is clearly the hottest starter on the staff: By comparison, Sale has a 5.29 ERA over his last three starts, which goes to show you that small sample sizes are seldom reliable predictors. If Fister closes out the season this strong over his final four or five starts, then he will have thrust himself into serious consideration for secondbest starter honors.
Eduardo Rodriguez
Since coming back from his knee subluxation in mid-July, Rodriguez has a 5.47 ERA in nine outings. He has allowed four, three, five and five earned runs over his last four starts. Time’s running out on Rodriguez. He was their second-best starter before getting hurt.
Now he’s not in the conversation for the top four.