E-ROD UPS PLAYOFF STOCK AS SOX ROLL
Postseason rotation spot within reach
CINCINNATI — Three weeks ago, it was hard to tell whether Eduardo Rodriguez would even make the Red Sox playoff roster. Now, he might be the favorite to start Game 3.
Having regained some of his early season momentum, Rodriguez yesterday delivered his strongest start in at least four months and probably his strongest start of the season, carrying the Sox to a 5-0 interleague win against the Cincinnati Reds.
It was the Red Sox’ fifth win in a row, their 13th in the past 16 games, and they cut their magic number to five to clinch the AL East.
Assuming they secure the division sometime this week, the Sox will need to settle on a Division Series rotation, and Rodriguez is looking more and more like their third-best starter.
“We haven’t made any decisions on who’s going to be throwing in what role with the exception of David Price (in the bullpen),” manager John Farrell said. “But with Eddie’s performance, he is certainly helping us achieve the first goal. Beyond that, we’ll have time to make those other decisions.”
In four starts this month, Rodriguez has a 1.78 ERA with 30 strikeouts and eight walks, half of which came in a single outing. If he stays on normal four days’ rest, he would make one last-regular season start at Fenway Park on Thursday against the AL West champion Houston Astros.
“Just go out there the next start and try to do the same I did (yesterday),” Rodriguez said. “And wait to see what’s going to be my role in the playoffs, either in the bullpen or to start a game. Whatever they put me in, I’m going to be out there.”
The opportunity to start in the postseason would be special.
“That’s going to be the best feeling in the world,” Rodriguez said. “That’s what everybody who’s started a game in the playoffs has told me already.”
Farrell credits an improved mix of pitches, specifically a willingness to use secondary pitches in the early innings, with getting Rodriguez back to the success of his first two months of the season. Rodriguez pitched to a 2.77 ERA before suffering a knee injury that sent him to the disabled list through the All-Star break.
The return from injury was rocky at first — 5.47 ERA in his first nine starts back — but down the stretch, Rodriguez has been better and more reliable than either reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello, who lasted just four innings on Friday, or Doug Fister, who allowed 11 runs in his past two starts.
Rodriguez, on the other hand, went 72⁄3 innings without letting a runner reach second base. He struck out six, scattered three singles and carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning.
“He’s very comfortable on the mound right now,” catcher Christian Vazquez said. “So I think his knee (issue) is still there, you know, but I think he finds a way to pitch with that.”
Andrew Benintendi helped out with two key plays in left field — one diving catch, one throw to second base to catch Joey Votto trying to stretch a single — but Rodriguez did most of the heavy lifting himself to maintain an early lead.
The Red Sox scored a run in the first inning, but didn’t break the game open until Mitch Moreland’s three-run home run in the sixth. The homer was Moreland’s 20th of the season.
“Anything I can do to help the team win, that’s the main goal,” Moreland said. “Today I was able to get us on the board a little more there. Kind of give us a little breathing room, so that was nice. Something to build on.”
Until the home run, Rodriguez had little margin for error.
When he had a chance to help himself at the plate in the second inning, Rodriguez laid down what would have been a terrific sacrifice bunt, except there were two outs and the easy out left two runners stranded.
“I tried to do something different because I’m pretty bad at hitting,” Rodriguez said. “I tried to see if I could get on base. But I didn’t get a strikeout, so there were no strikeouts. That’s pretty good. I’ll take it.”
Of course, the Red Sox don’t need Rodriguez to hit in October. But they just might call on him to start. He seems to be earning that opportunity.
“It’s good to see him seemingly take the next step in his maturation as a pitcher,” Farrell said. “The stuff has never been in question, but the overall increased focus pitch to pitch throughout the course of nearly eight innings today, and the rapport he and Vazquey have, that’s a strong, strong outing today. You look at the last four or five he’s put together, he’s throwing the ball very well right now.”