Ineffective Pomeranz moved to bullpen
TORONTO (AP) — The Boston Red Sox moved struggling left-hander Drew Pomeranz to the bullpen and will keep right-hander Brian Johnson as a starter after ace lefty Chris Sale returns from the disabled list.
Pomeranz, 1-5 with a 6.31 ERA, is winless in eight starts since a May 2 victory over Kansas City. Pomeranz matched a season-worst with five walks in Tuesday’s start at Toronto, leaving after 4 2-3 innings. He has completed more than five innings twice in 11 starts.
Johnson won his second straight start in Wednesday’s victory over Toronto. He’s 3-3 with a 4.00 ERA in 29 games, eight starts.
Sale (mild left shoulder inflammation) threw a bullpen session Thursday and is expected to return Sunday against Baltimore.
WORCESTER — Upper Deck Post 14’s hopeful run to greatness at the American Legion Northeast Regional Tournament at the College of the Holy Cross came to a premature end Thursday afternoon, and the looks on the faces of the coaching staff, players … heck, even their parents defined such.
Still, skipper Matt Allard took a mature approach to addressing how four UD pitchers yielded 10 walks and a balk while striking three batters in what became a disgruntling 10-7 loss to defending Northeast champion Shrewsbury, Mass. Post 397 at Hancock Insurance Park at Fitton Field.
“We gave up too many free bases, and they will hurt you every single time,” he stated after the losers’ bracket elimination contest, one that closed UD’s summer campaign at 2112-1 overall. “And those kids, they all scored, if not most of them.
“I think the goal every year you come into this is to, first, make the playoffs, then win the state championship,” he added. “Anything after that, in my opinion, is gravy. Only one team can win it all, only one team is supremely happy when it all ends, and we weren’t one of them. You need to be a little lucky in this game, and we just … well, weren’t.”
Shrewsbury’s righty starter, Dylan Degon, lasted only 1.1 innings after allowing four hits and six runs (three earned), hitting a batter and delivering a wild toss, but his replacement – St. John’s sophomore-to-be and southpaw Tyler Mudd – more than did his job. Over the final 5.2 frames, he scattered five hits with two walks, gave up a run, hit a batter and whiffed a half dozen to gain the win.
Only two Post 397 batters manufactured two hits, including cleanup hitter John West (2-for-5, double, RBI) and Matt Mattero (2-for-3, three RBIs), but the biggest run production came from Mudd’s batterymate Nick Martin. He went 1-for-3 with a double, two passes, three RBI and two runs scored.
Actually, teammate Matt Sullivan, who batted immediately behind Martin in the order, didn’t have an unofficial at-bat, as he walked four times and was struck by a pitch.
Still, UD outhit its foe, 10-9, and committed only one error, while Shrewsbury made five.
None of that mattered in this one. Long after the game ended, Allard and assistant Mike Calabro spent time with their kids under the right-field picnic tent discussing the season, and