Sox find satisfaction with Porcello healthy
DETROIT — Rick Porcello dodged more than one bullet yesterday.
If not for the Red Sox’ four-run rally in the eighth inning, Porcello likely would have been tagged with a loss after pitching OK-but-not-great in his second start of the season.
In the long run, however, it was avoiding what looked like an injury in the fourth inning. He pulled up short and began hopping and limping after racing to back-up a throw from the outfield got tangled up with third base umpire Jerry Layne. Manager John Farrell and the training staff bolted out of the dugout, but after a couple of practice throws, Porcello looked fine.
A loss would have been bad, but not the end of the world.
Given how many health issues this team has, staying healthy was far more important.
“I kind of landed awkwardly — I was going back to back up the base and was watching the ball and didn’t see (Layne),” Porcello said. “I heard him say something and then I tried to move and just kind of landed awkwardly and scared me more than anything, but I’m good to go.”
Said Farrell: “I saw it unfold. It was an awkward movement on his part to try to avoid a collision down there, but he threw the extra pitch and didn’t feel anything and continued.”
At that point in the game, the Tigers held a 3-2 lead after four innings. Porcello began to settle in after that and pitched better, retiring six of the next seven batters. But after the Red Sox tied it in the top of the seventh, Porcello gave the Tigers another advantage after Nicholas Castellanos hit a leadoff homer in the seventh. One infield single later, Porcello was done for the day after 102 pitches.
“After about the fourth inning where they put together a couple of base hits, he threw a lot of strikes,” Farrell said. “They swung early in the count, particularly in the first couple, three innings, but then he went to some more offspeed and he was able to slow them down, settle in a little bit. He was still in good shape from a strength standpoint going out to start the seventh, but a lot of strikes forced them to swing the bat and kept us in the ballgame deep.”
Porcello allowed 11 hits over his six-plus innings. He allowed three earned runs, with one walk and eight strikeouts. He extended his streak of throwing at least six innings to 20 straight starts, the longest streak in the majors. His streak of quality starts ended at 14.
“I felt OK, good ballclub, good lineup, definitely battled all the way through and really happy we came out on top,” said Porcello, who ultimated got no decision in the Red Sox’ 7-5 victory. “Some things I could have done better, could have executed some pitches better. They really swung the bats well. I felt like some of the outs I got were pretty loud outs so overall really happy to come out here with a win.”