Red Sox Strut: Catcher Christian Vazquez, RHP Rick Porcello
By Sean Penney
Pitching Candidates
Eduardo Rodriguez was solid in both his starts this week. He held Oakland to one run over six innings to pick up a win last Tuesday, then took a hard-luck loss against the Rays when he allowed only two earned runs over 5 2/3 innings. E-Rod has been inconsistent since his return from the disabled list in July but he’s turning things around at the right time. In three September starts, Rodriguez owns a 2.55 ERA and has struck out 24 batters in 17 2/3 innings.
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Drew Pomeranz earned his 16th win of the season, tied for second in the AL. He held the A’s to one run over six innings, lowering his ERA to 3.28, which ranks fifth in the league. Pomeranz would be the ace of the staff on many teams and would be getting a lot more buzz if not for being overshadowed by Sale.
The scoreless streak by Austin Maddox to begin his career has reached 12 1/3 innings following three more shutout appearances last week. He’s walked only one batter and struck out 10 in his brief career. The sample remains small but Maddox is starting to earn enough trust to warrant a spot on the postseason roster.
David Price looked sharp in his return, tossing a pair of clean innings out of the bullpen on Sunday. He struck out two, retiring all six batters he faced on an efficient 21 pitches. Price touched 95 on the radar gun and showed the ability to throw all of his pitches for strikes. Much has been made about his postseason struggles but we’ve seen him thrive on that stage out of the bullpen before. Don’t be surprised if he makes a positive impact for the Red Sox in October.