Red Sox Strut: First baseman Mitch Moreland, RHP Doug Fister

Pitcher who gets to Strut

The pitcher who had the best week on this pitching staff is also the one who entered with the lowest expectations. With the Red Sox desperate to put up a fight in an otherwise dismal week, they called on the Fist to save them.

Doug Fister‘s record may show 1-1 for the week, but he pitched brilliantly in both outings.

His first outing started out with a solo home run to Indians leadoff hitter Franciso Lindor. While the initial reaction was to assume Fister was on his way to being shelled again, that homer turned out to be the only hit the right-hander would allow the rest of the game. He became only the third pitcher in the modern era to pitch a complete game in which the only hit he allowed was a leadoff home run.

Fister took a hard-luck loss on Sunday after allowing back-to-back RBI doubles in the first inning against Baltimore. He settled down to make it through seven innings without allowing another run but ultimately lost 2-1 when his offense stranded 13 runners.

There were some brutal outings when Fister was inserted into the rotation, but he’s recovered to become a surprisingly solid No. 5 starter. He’s lasted over six innings while allowing no more than three runs in four of his last five starts. Over that time his abysmal 6.04 ERA has dropped to a more palatable 4.53 ERA.

Next: Is Sale tipping pitches?

Who knows when or if the Red Sox will get David Price back this season. At least they can now feel confident sending Fister out every fifth day in the meantime. If he keeps up his recent success, Fister may even make a case for earning a spot in the postseason rotation.