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Red Sox Strut: Hanley Ramirez, Craig Kimbrel finish out the month strong

By Matthew Loper

Apr 30, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel (46) pitches during the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 30, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel (46) pitches during the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 30, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel (46) pitches during the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 30, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Craig Kimbrel (46) pitches during the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /

Craig Kimbrel finally gets the honors to Strut

Craig Kimbrel has really been stellar this season and has come very close to earning the honors to Strut but was overshadowed by a starter. While Sale or Rodriguez could certainly be argued for, I think this is the perfect week to give Kimbrel the nod.

While he only had two appearance for the week, they were both close to flawless. He gave up just one hit – a double to Ben Zobrist on Friday. He also struck out the side in that same game and looked close to unhittable. He is fooling hitters by keeping them guessing with a nice combination of throwing gas and that vicious curveball.

Then in a non-save situation on Sunday night, Kimbrel again mowed down the opposition getting the Cubs to go 1-2-3 in the ninth to secure a huge win.

Next: Red Sox Standings Watch: Stuck in the middle

I know that Strut is supposed to be a weekly award, but with the month that Kimbrel has had, I just couldn’t let his performance go unnoticed. He has been the anchor of the bullpen and is one of the reasons that the relief staff has really turned things around in 2017. Apparently Boston.com agrees. He has allowed just one home run this season and has an ERA of 1.59. If Kimbrel continues his dominance, only good things can happen for this team. For now though, he’s strutting into May!

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