Boston Red Sox: Three up, three down since the All-Star Break

The All-Star Break and trade deadline have come and gone. The stretch run of the season is here. Some Red Sox are rising to the occasion, while others may play themselves off of the playoff roster.

We’ve passed the trade deadline, and the Boston Red Sox were relatively quiet. Many thought they might add a big-time relief pitcher, and perhaps they might yet, but in the end, Dave Dombrowski indicated his satisfaction with the team as currently composed.

Given how well the team has played since the All-Star break, and really all season long, it’s hard to blame him. Boston has a comfortable lead in the American League East and is on pace to win a franchise record 113 games. What matters more, however, is that they look to be hitting their stride and playing their best baseball at just the right time. The starting rotation has been more or less excellent, and the lineup looks unstoppable.

As we head down the stretch, it’s crucial that the Red Sox continue to build on these successes. We’ve seen what happens when they rest on their laurels before the season is truly wrapped. Some players have stood out since the break and must continue to do so going forward. Others, however, have turned in lackluster performances far too often. If the Red Sox are going to turn this spectacular season into a championship season, they’ll need more out of those players.

Up: Nathan Eovaldi

One of the Red Sox few acquisitions before the trade deadline, Nathan Eovaldi has been even better than advertised. Prior to his time in a Boston uniform, Eovaldi had been enjoying a renaissance season with the Tampa Bay Rays. The former New York Yankees prospect missed the 2017 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery; in 2018, he reintroduced himself to baseball as a different pitcher.

Per Fangraphs, much of Eovaldi’s success can be attributed to a lower fastball usage rate and a higher cutter usage rate. He also uses more of the zone with his fastball, hitting higher spots than he used to, which makes it harder to predict. His cutter, on the other hand, sees more of the middle of the plate than the glove side, which makes it harder for batters to tell it apart from his fastball.

A more complete pitcher now than he was during his time in New York, Eovaldi didn’t miss a beat after arriving in Boston. In two starts with his new team, Eovaldi has covered 16 innings and allowed just seven hits, one walk, and no runs. His latest masterpiece, an eight-inning domination of the Yankees, cemented his place in the rotation.

It’s possible he could still move to the bullpen for the playoffs. He’d be valuable as a long relief option who owns righties, and as a bridge to Craig Kimbrel. However, if he keeps pitching as well as he has been, it’ll be hard to take him out of the rotation.

Up: David Price

Following an eight-run implosion in 3.1 innings against the Yankees on July 1, David Price was at a crossroads. Though his talent has never been in doubt, over the years he has garnered a reputation for disappearing in big games. Earlier in the season, some fans believed he used an injury to avoid facing New York. That awful start in early July gave credence to the conspiracy theorists, at least in their minds. Fair or not, after that start, Price had no choice but to prove himself once again.

Here’s the thing. He’s done that. Since the All-Star break, Price has been spectacular. He allowed just a single run in 14.1 innings across his final two July starts, and held the dreaded Yankees to two runs in six innings his last turn on the mound.

Yes, we need to see him perform that way consistently in big games, particularly in the playoffs. His dominant relief appearances in last year’s ALDS aren’t enough to prove he’s turned the corner as a postseason pitcher. However, the Red Sox are undeniably far better off with Price than they would be without him, and he’ll be integral to any success the Red Sox find in October.

Up: Ryan Brasier

One of the reasons Dave Dombrowski declined to pick up a reliever before the trade deadline could be the emergence of Ryan Brasier. The rookie reliever has spent about a month in the big leagues and has helped steady a bullpen that was having issues getting the ball to the closer.

Brasier has a grand total of just 12.2 innings under his belt this season, which admittedly is a small sample size, and only nine more in the rest of his Major League career (back in 2013 with the Los Angeles Angels). However, it would hardly be inaccurate to describe his performance thus far as sterling.

Brasier has allowed just two earned runs in 12.2 innings of work, has racked up nine strikeouts against five walks, and has surrendered only seven hits. He’s not the fireballing strikeout artists most dominant relievers seem to be these days, but he induces more ground ball than fly balls and keeps the ball in the yard. A reliever doesn’t have to blow batters away to be effective.

If Brasier keeps going at this rate, if Matt Barnes continues his strong work, and if Joe Kelly returns to form, the Red Sox bullpen will be just fine.

Down: Drew Pomeranz

The 2018 season hasn’t been kind to Drew Pomeranz. The big lefty has been unable to capture the success he found in 2017. After a dismal May, Pomeranz missed all of June and most of July due to injury. Since returning to the rotation, his fortunes have not improved.

In his first start back, against the lowly Baltimore Orioles on July 24, Pomeranz managed to survive just 4.2 innings. He surrendered four runs and six hits, including two home runs, in that short stint, and he needed 89 pitches to even get that far. Though Pomeranz has never been an innings-eater, his inefficiency has reached a crisis point this season; he’s logged more than five innings in just two of his 11 starts, and fewer than five innings in five of those 11.

One starting pitcher will be heading to the bullpen when the postseason begins. While conventional wisdom may have suggested it would be Eovaldi, it now looks as though it will be Pomeranz. In fact, the bullpen may be the best place for him. Pomeranz already struggles to work deep into games, so why force him to? The bullpen would help both him and the team.

The Red Sox need a lefty coming out of the ‘pen, and Pomeranz has actually found success there in the past. Though he’s spent most of his career as a starter, he has logged 64.1 innings of relief work. In those innings, he owns a sparkling 2.10 ERA and a microscopic 0.99 WHIP. Compare that to his 4.05 career ERA and 1.37 career WHIP as a starter. Pomeranz can still play an important role for this team, but it might have to be as a reliever.

Down: Brandon Workman

Brandon Workman started off his 2018 campaign on a high note by allowing just a single earned run in 10 June innings. Unfortunately, that success hasn’t continued into the second half.

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In July, Workman saw the mound for only 8.2 innings, but still allowed five earned runs and 10 hits, including three home runs. In his only August appearance, he pitched two innings against the Yankees and surrendered another home run.

Workman’s last scoreless appearance came way back on July 15, and he’s only made three appearances since then. Across those three games, he totaled four innings, four earned runs allowed, and three home runs surrendered. The reason he’s used so infrequently is clear: Alex Cora can’t trust him right now.

If the Red Sox have a weakness right now, it’s the bullpen. Whether we’re talking about Heath Hembree, Kelly, or Workman, Boston has too many supposedly key relief options struggling to find consistency. Craig Kimbrel is perhaps the best closer in the game right now, but Cora needs to be able to trust that the rest of his relievers won’t blow it before the game gets to Kimbrel. If Workman can right the ship, Boston will be able to breathe easier in October.