Red Sox Strut: Third baseman Rafael Devers, LHP Chris Sale
By Sean Penney
Pitching Candidates
With the No. 3 spot in the Red Sox postseason rotation still up for grabs, Eduardo Rodriguez made a statement for his case with a masterpiece on Saturday. E-Rod tossed 7 2/3 shutout innings against the Reds, allowing only three hits, two walks and striking out six. He’s been brilliant this month, posting a 1.78 ERA with 30 strikeouts over 25 1/3 innings in September. Rodriguez seems to have straightened out the inconsistencies that plagued him following a return from a knee injury. He now owns a 3.91 ERA that ranks 19th in the league among pitchers with at least 130 innings pitched.
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Drew Pomeranz was deprived of the chance for his 17th win in a game where he shutout the Baltimore Orioles over 6 1/3 innings. Boston would go on to win the game in 11 innings, long after the starter had departed. He now ranks fifth in the league with a 3.15 ERA.
It took a minute for Addison Reed to settle into his new home but he’s finally starting to resemble the setup man the Red Sox hoped to acquire. Reed logged 4 1/3 innings last week without allowing a run and struck out six. His 0.87 WHIP during his brief tenure in Boston is lower than any he’s produced in a full season. The problem has been the home runs. He’s allowed four already in 23 innings with the Red Sox but the last one came back on September 3. Reed hasn’t allowed an earned run over his last 10 appearances.
David Price may have found his niche as the long man out of the bullpen. He’s made two appearances since his return, lasting at least two innings in each without allowing a run. Price has struck out four over 4 2/3 innings and earned a win in his last appearance.
Craig Kimbrel continues to do Craig Kimbrel things. It’s no surprise he had another dominant week. Let’s just take a moment to appreciate that he leads all major league relievers in ERA (1.34), K/9 (16.39), WHIP (0.66), opponent AVG (.132), and strikeout percentage (49.6).