Hard-hitting facts
Porcello struggles again; allows 2 HR
Rick Porcello is starting to allow hard contact again.
And it’s starting to cost the Red Sox.
Porcello allowed five runs in his six innings of work last night, as the Red Sox opened their homestand with a 6-5 loss to Oakland.
With the setback, the 28-13 Sox fell out of first place by a half-game to the idle 28-12 Yankees, who now have sole possession of the best record in the major leagues.
After striding through his first four starts with a svelte 1.40 ERA, Porcello’s mark is 4.78 over his last five outings. He also allowed five runs in his last start, against the Yankees.
Perhaps even more worrisome for Porcello is that he allowed two home runs vs. Oakland — four in his last four starts — a pace far more reminiscent of last season, when he led the majors in home runs surrendered (38). He did not allow a homer over his first five starts this season.
“He wasn’t able to put hitters away — hanging changeup to (Matt) Joyce (home run in the third), front-door cutter to (Jonathan) Lucroy (tworun double, fourth) and then (Matt) Olson (home run in the sixth),” said manager Alex Cora. “He made some good pitches down in the zone, and left a fastball up and away, and he put a good swing on it. That was the story of the game.”
The last time the Sox faced Sean Manaea, he nohit them, but they got to him for eight hits and three runs this time, but it was again for naught.
After the Joyce blast, the A’s gave the lead back in the third inning thanks to RBI singles from Andrew Benintendi and Hanley Ramirez.
Oakland bounced back in the fourth, scoring three times.
After Porcello retired the leadoff batter, the next two batters singled before Mark Canha looked at strike three.
That brought up Lucroy, who doubled into left field to bring in two runs to give the A’s their lead back, 3-2.
The next batter, No. 9 hitter Dustin Fowler, tripled in Lucroy for a 4-2 edge.
“I don’t think there was a whole lot of trouble early — ground ball through the hole in the second and then a ground ball in the third and they get runners on like that,” said Porcello. “The fourth inning was the biggest inning. Two outs. Had an opportunity to get out of it and I give up the big hit. Double by Lucroy and the nine hitter comes up and actually both of those pitches felt like they were halfway decent pitches they just put good swings on them and the nine hitter hit a ball to center off the wall and scored another run. The home runs were, tip your hat because they hit the ball hard and they hit the ball out of the ballpark. They were good swings.”
The Red Sox narrowed the lead in the fourth on a Ramirez RBI groundout.
In the sixth, Porcello allowed the home run to Olson, and he was done after the frame, having allowed nine hits and the five runs, with no walks and five strikeouts.
Martinez hit a solo homer to cut the deficit to 6-5 in the eighth but Oakland closer Blake Treinen retired the Sox 1-2-3 in the ninth.
“Our offense did a great job,” said Porcello. “They kept battling back. Every time we battled back and got within one or tied it up, myself or whoever else was pitching gave it back up. So we have to do a better job as a pitching staff. The offense did a great job, especially against tough pitching. They battled him hard and got him out after six and we had a chance because of the work that they did.”
Porcello thought he was sharper than last start against New York.
“Definitely … felt a lot better coming out (last night) as far as stuff goes,” said Porcello. “At the end of the day stuff doesn’t get you W’s. You have to go out and make pitches. You have to rebound in four days and execute the pitches I need to make.”