Red Sox Strut: The pen and Betts
Sep 25, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Rich Hill pitches against the Baltimore Orioles duing the ninth 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.
The last home stand of the season started flat and ended with an illustrious three game shutout tossed at the Orioles.
Tampa Bay came to town for a four game set and won three games as both teams – along with the O’s – are in a bar room brawl to stay out of the basement of the American League East. All three teams have managed to have a forgettable season and for Baltimore came an embarrassing set in Boston.
The O’s were three games back in the Wild Card – a longshot, for sure – and managed to get swept and in the humiliating fashion of three shutouts. Surprise it is as the O’s have a decent offensive show being fourth in the AL in home runs and in the middle of the pack in run production. Boston fans will take it.
Sep 23, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Mookie Betts (50) hits a single during the fifth inning of the game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. The Tampa Bay Rays won 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
Position Player
Not one player stood out with an exceptional week as interim manager Torey Lovullo did the expected mix and match that one will see with a team out of the race and to get an early start on evaluations for 2016.
David Ortiz hit number 502 and hit .294 (5-17) for the week and busted through the 100 RBI plateau with five. Ortiz now holds the record for most 35/100 seasons by a Red Sox at nine.
The gloss is off Jackie Bradley – at least with the bat. Bradley hit .111 (2-18) with a nice collection of five strikeouts.
Brock Holt moved around the diamond and continued to stay in the .280s with a .308 (4-13). No second half flop for All-Star Holt.
Travis Shaw showed that he is no stiff at third when he got the call on Sunday. Shaw – a notorious Fenway hitter in the early career sample – went south a bit on that with a .182 (4-22).
The push for 200 hits continued for Xander Bogaerts and that was a nice .348 (8-23) into his stats ledger with a pair of RBI and three runs.
The Strut of the week is to Mookie Betts who has, like Bogaerts, become Mr. Consistency. For Betts it was .333 (8-24) with three doubles – 39 for the season – six runs and an RBI. So the dynamic 22-year-old can Strut all he wants and maybe take the Yankees to school this week? And let us not forget “The Catch.”
Sep 26, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Craig Breslow (32) delivers a pitch during the first inning of the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
Pitcher
Henry Owens was the Strut last week in the pitching department and could certainly get another nod this week after a 7.2 innings of shutout ball. Owens is looking like a foundation to build upon and may be a significant linchpin in the 2016 rotation.
The legend of Rich Hill continues to grow as the feel good story of late 2015 season. A classic reclamation project who spent part of 2015 in the lowly bushes of Indy ball. Picked up by the Red Sox, moved into the Pawtucket rotation and brought up to the big club for three scintillating starts including seven shutout innings against Baltimore. Hill is a Boston born player who just may earn a nice contract for 2016.
The big story and the big Strut goes to the bullpen. Yes – the bullpen! The bullpen that comes has been responsible for me investigating the possibility of a portable defibrillator. The statistical basement of reliever’s team stats in the American League including a negative WAR. So what happens?
The parade started with four shutout innings by Craig Breslow and then came Heath Hembree and Matt Barnes to contribute three more zeros on the board. Alexi Ogando hit a rough patch and left two on and one out for Tommy Layne. Layne got the dangerous Chris Davis and was replaced by Noe Ramirez who did his 0.1 inning duty. The shutout was finished off by an inning apiece by Jonathan Aro and the new closer Robbie Ross.
So the boys in the ‘pen get a well-deserved Strut after such a dismal season.
More from BoSox Injection
- Red Sox Nation deserves far more from Fenway Sports Group
- Bizarre trade deadline comes back to haunt Red Sox after Nathan Eovaldi departure
- Red Sox’ Moneyball-style offseason continues with Corey Kluber contract
- Rich Hill’s Red Sox departure puts him within striking distance of unique MLB record
- Red Sox offseason takes another nasty hit with Nathan Eovaldi departure