Well-armed Whitlock off to fast start
Garrett Whitlock said this has been his best run as a starter following Thursday night’s start against the Orioles when the righthander went five innings, allowing just a run.
“Last year, it felt like it was a good one, bad one. Good one, bad one. Good one, bad one,” said Whitlock before Friday night’s 7-0 loss to the Angels. ”So I mean, to be able to put three in a row together is definitely a good thing and you want to keep going and keep adding those together.”
The difference for Whitlock, he noted, is that he now has more pitches. Last year, for instance, Whitlock stuck to mainly his sinker and changeup. His third go-to pitch was his sweeper. This year, however, Whitlock has implemented a cutter and a gyro slider in his pitch mix.
”Last year and 2022, it was one of those things where if I didn’t have my changeup that day, I was getting absolutely hammered because my breaking ball was just not competitive. I think now with adding the cutter, adding the gyro slider, adding the bigger sweeper and everything like that, like I think that that helps with things. It’s like if one thing is not working, I have other tools I can go to.”
Whitlock has a 1.26 ERA in those three starts, adding that the confidence in his cutter grew in his start Thursday.
“It was one of those where I actually shook to it, and I hadn’t done that all year,” said Whitlock. ”But it’s still just a growing process because I developed the gyro slider the last week of spring training and developed the cutter in spring training. It’s one of those things where I’m trying to get better with each and every time we get out there.”
Abreu coming along?
Wilyer Abreu has gotten off to a horrific start to the season that also included a spring training where he struck out 26 times in 77 plate appearances. He entered Friday’s game hitting .190 (4 for 21).
“I’ve been surprised with swings and misses to be honest,” manager Alex Cora said before Thursday’s series finale vs. the Orioles. “More playing time probably helps. We’re going to find ways to get him at-bats. It’s been challenging early on, but where we’re at right now, there are ways.”
But maybe Abreu, known for his strike-zone awareness and his hitting ability, is beginning to find himself. The Sox outfielder laced two hits to the opposite field Thursday, including an RBI double off the Green Monster.
“He hasn’t hit the ball the other way in months,” Cora said Friday before the Sox’ 7-0 series-opening loss to the Angels at Fenway. “Not even spring training. Everything was pull-side. He’s had good practice session, practicing kind of like staying on it and not cutting his swing [off ]. He did a good job staying the other way, not trying to do too much. He hit those two balls hard to left, and the [out] to first, too. So he got three good at-bats.
”And like I said before, we have to figure out [a] way to play him against righties; we have to. There’s a reason he’s here and it’s because he’s a good player. Somehow some way, we will find him at-bats.
Campbell goes to the IL
Saturday’s starter is still to be determined. The Red Sox placed Isaiah Campbell on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder impingement. Campbell produced two consecutive rough outings Wednesday and Thursday against the Orioles when he yielded a combined eight earned runs in just two innings. In Thursday’s game, Campbell conceded five runs and two home runs.
“I just didn’t do my job,” Campbell said after his appearance Thursday and the Sox loss that completed a sweep. “I can’t leave too many pitches over the plate against these guys. The pitches I left over, they got. They hit them hard and they did their job. So this loss is on me. I have to get better and be ready for my next outing.”
Campbell surrendered just a run across 4‚ innings prior to those two woeful appearances.
The Sox recalled Bobby Dalbec from Triple A Worcester to fill Campbell’s spot on the roster.
Injury updates
Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story underwent a successful arthroscopic repair of the posterior labrum Friday, with an open reduction and internal fixation of the fracture of the glenoid rim in his shoulder, the team said in a release.The procedure was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles … Nick Pivetta (right elbow flexor strain) will begin playing catch Saturday. Pivetta went on the 15-day injured list with a right flexor strain Sunday. He’s made two starts this season with a 0.82 ERA … Rafael Devers (shoulder) will likely miss his third straight game Saturday, his fifth overall. Devers is hitting .184 with two homers in 10 games this season … Rob Refsnyder (toe) went 2 for 3 with a double and a run scored in his rehab start for Worcester Friday while also playing in right field. Vaughn Grissom (groin) began his Triple A rehab stint by going 0 for 3 from the designated hitter spot.