Red Sox Strut: Third baseman Rafael Devers, LHP Chris Sale
A weekly article series where we examine two players who deserve to strut their stuff for the Boston Red Sox. This week – Rafael Devers, Chris Sale.
If you want 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 Boston Red Sox took two out of three against a pair of division foes last week to retain their spot at the top of the AL East.
The expanded rosters were put to good use in the first week of September, as the Red Sox needed 19 innings to top the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday. The entire bullpen should be able to strut after combining for 13 shutout innings in the game.
That marathon kicked off a four-game winning streak, bookended by the only two losses of the week. Both were hung on Rick Porcello, who now has a league-leading 17 losses. He’s the first American League pitcher since 1990 to lose at least 17 games for a team with a winning record.
It’s safe to say we won’t see Porcello strutting around the clubhouse this week, but there are still plenty of other candidates.
Position Player Candidates
Eduardo Nunez led the team in hits, going 8-for-18 (.444) with three RBI and three stolen bases last week. That almost made him worthy of the strut, although he would have done so with a limp after leaving Saturday’s game with a knee contusion. Nunez appeared to bang his knee while stealing second base in the first inning of Saturday’s game. He would remain in the game initially, only to be replaced after beating out an infield single in his next plate appearance. Nunez sat out Sunday’s game but shouldn’t be sidelined much longer.
Dustin Pedroia is starting to heat up following his lengthy absence. He went 5-for-13 (.385) over his last four games and blasted his first home run since July 20. Pedroia went on a mini-power surge prior to his stint on the disabled list, homering four times in a span of 11 games in July. His shot into the Monster seats on Saturday could be a sign the Laser Show is back.
Christian Vazquez continues to rake whenever he’s in the lineup. He went 5-for-14 (.357) with a double and two RBI last week. Vazquez is now hitting an absurd .372 with a .956 OPS at Fenway Park this season.
Is the slump finally ending for Mookie Betts? A 7-for-25 (.280) performance last week suggests it might be. Betts smacked three doubles and a rare opposite field home run, leading to a team-high 13 total bases for the week.
Sam Travis only started two games last week but appeared in two others as a pinch-hitter. He collected three hits, including a double, in his eight trips to the plate. If the 24-year old continues to produce he may start stealing playing time from Hanley Ramirez. He could also spell Mitch Moreland against lefties, against whom Travis is hitting .394 in 33 at-bats.
Position Player who gets to Strut
Rookie third baseman Rafael Devers is busting out of a brief slump with a strong week in which he went 7-for-17 (.412) at the plate.
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Devers was given a day off last Monday and limited to pinch-hitting duties the following day. The rest allowed the 20-year old to recharge his batteries near the tail end of the longest season of his professional career. He responded by collecting seven hits over the next three games, including a pair of doubles.
The highlight of his week was a 3-for-3 performance Friday night. Devers doubled to lead off the fourth, igniting a lineup that chased Tampa Bay Rays starter Chris Archer from the game before he could record an out in that inning. Devers would score the first of five runs for the Red Sox that inning, allowing the team to cruise to victory.
The power has dried up following a torrid start in which Devers blasted eight home runs in his first 20 career games. He hasn’t gone deep since August 19 against the New York Yankees and is slugging a mere .414 so far in September. Devers has shaken off the first slump of his career to start piling up hits again, so the home run power is sure to follow soon.
Pitching Candidates
September call-up Austin Maddox has been about as lights out as it gets in his brief time with the Red Sox this year. The right-hander tossed 4 2/3 shutout innings last week, allowing only two hits and recording four strikeouts. Maddox has now pitched 9 1/3 innings in the majors this season without allowing a run.
While we’re at it, let’s give a shout out to the bullpen in general. I previously mentioned the tremendous effort Red Sox relievers delivered in the 19-inning win over Toronto last week. Maddox, Blaine Boyer, Addison Reed, Fernando Abad, Heath Hembree, Craig Kimbrel and Carson Smith were among the relievers to appear in that game. Each of them pitched at least two innings last week without allowing a run.
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Doug Fister earned his fifth win of the season by holding the Blue Jays to one run over seven innings. He struck out a season-high nine batters and saw his ERA dip below 4.00 for the first time this season. Fister has been on quite a run since rejoining the rotation at the end of July and deserves to be the team’s No. 3 starter heading into the postseason.
Drew Pomeranz is tied for third in the league in wins after picking up his 15th of the season against the Rays on Friday. He held Tampa Bay to two runs over six innings and struck out seven. Pomeranz has lasted seven innings in a start only once this season, which came back in May. He’s not going deep into games, but being cautious of his pitch counts has prevented him from wearing down like he did in the second half of last season. That’s a fair trade off, especially when the Red Sox have a strong bullpen backing him up.
Eduardo Rodriguez had to settle for a no-decision as the starter of that 19-inning game against the Blue Jays. He wouldn’t get credit for that win, but don’t let that overlook E-Rod’s performance. He held the Jays to two runs over six innings and struck out eight. It was an encouraging sign in the wake of being roughed up for five runs in each of his previous two starts.
Pitcher who gets to Strut
A pair of meetings with his nemesis from Cleveland and a rough outing in the Bronx left us feeling as if Chris Sale has been off his game lately. Turns out a visit from the Rays was all the medicine he needed to cure his recent issues.
Sale blanked the Rays over six innings, striking out eight. He had struck out at least 12 batters in each of his four previous starts against Tampa Bay, but didn’t hang around long enough to approach that number this time.
Manager John Farrell pulled his ace after only 97 pitches, despite that Sale was cruising along. With a 9-0 lead, there was no need to tax his arm this late in the season. Expect Sale to get a quicker than usual hook in his few remaining starts, especially if the Red Sox hold a comfortable lead. The lefty is quickly approaching the career-high innings total he set last year and has never pitched in the postseason before. The Red Sox will need to be cautious with his workload as they approach uncharted waters.
Sale has already set a career-high with his major league leading 278 strikeouts. Limiting his innings down the stretch could cost him a shot at the single-season franchise record of 313, held by Pedro Martinez. However, Sale has been a significant part of another record. Following his eight strikeout performance over the weekend, Red Sox pitchers set a new franchise record for strikeouts in a season with 1,363. That total continues to grow and there are still nearly three weeks left in the season.
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The Cy Young battle with Indians ace Corey Kluber will remain tight down the stretch. Even if Sale doesn’t take home the hardware, there’s no doubting that he’s producing the most dominant season by a Red Sox pitcher since vintage Pedro.