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Red Sox Strut: Week 15 – A repeat for Bogaerts and Rodriguez

By Rick McNair |
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Jul 11, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) turns a double play as New York Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius (18) slides during the third inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Now, to fully understand what the Red Sox Strut is, it means to have reason to walk with a confident, proud air around you. Some people mistake it for vanity, arrogance, or being pompous. This incorrect assumption is not what we mean. The Strut is about knowing that your deeds showed off your amazing skills to the baseball-loving public.

Position Player:

A short week with a five game run in which the Red Sox went 3-2. So on the offense who deserves a strut for the week?

Hanley Ramirez went 5-21 with a home run and three RBI. The home run was a momentum changer that gave Boston a lead against New York in an ultimate Red Sox win.

Alejandro De Aza, a previous strut winner, had a productive week with 5-14, two RBI and two steals – one of which led directly to an important run against New York. In addition, De Aza played his typical competent defense.

Mookie Betts did hit for the cycle – just not in the same game and finished the week 4-21. Betts total included his 22nd double, seventh triple and tenth home run.

Missing out on the All-Star team is a disappointment, but knowledgeable fans know the best shortstop In the AL resides in Boston. Xander Bogaerts continues to impress in all facets of the game and, once again, he demonstrated it in the five games played.

Bogaerts went 7-21 with six RBI and the big hit was a bases clearing single against the Marlins. Bogaerts is not new to strut and this is just another one this talented 22-year-old can have for fan recognition.

Jul 11, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher

Eduardo Rodriguez

(52) pitches against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Pitcher:

A very uncomfortable week for the Red Sox pitchers. The first, and most significant, is an injury that sent Clay Buchholz to the DL for a month or longer. Then comes the bullpen. This is a problem where a good performance such as that of Robbie Ross can be matched by a poor performance such as Alexi Ogando against New York. This can flip-flop the next time as the bullpen attempts to find some anchors to get to Junichi Tazawa and Koji Uehara.

Koji had a nice run for the week and appears in a pitching happy place. Three saves for the week and in three innings allowing one hit while striking out five.

When will the real Rick Porcello show up? The 100M+ contract that has resulted in pitching metrics that appear wiffle ball like. Well, that Rick did show up against Miami for six decent innings of eight hit and two run ball. Sure – it looked like Miami was always one hit away from breaking it open, but it didn’t happen as Porcello captured win five against nine losses.

Wade Miley started the week exceptionally well with a 6.2 inning effort against the Marlins. Miley allowed three runs on seven hits while walking two and chipping in with nine strikeouts. Miley would be a strut lock if he could reproduce his no decision effort against the Yankees. In stead Miley gave up six earned runs in 5.1 innings and ended up with a loss to even his record at 8-8.

Miley could not beat New York, but Eduardo Rodriguez could. You get extra points anytime you put the Yankees away and E-Rod did that on a nationally televised game.

E-Rod was in control with 6.1 innings allowing five hits and two runs – both runs came on home runs. Rodriguez mixed and matched three pitches for the evening in psoting win five against two losses.

For Rodriguez it is another strut for the 22-year-old lefty.

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