Red Sox starter Martin Perez is the right man on the hill to end the skid

The Red Sox need Martin Perez to end the losing streak

It has been one long and miserable week for the Red Sox and the members of the Nation. Ever since that wonderful Mitch Moreland walk-off,  Boston has been serving up losses each and every night. And they haven’t just been losses, the team has been absolutely embarrassed and dominated by both the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees.

It’s one thing to lose some games in a row, but to have your two top rivals smash you into oblivion for seven straight games isn’t a good time. We all know the story of the 2020 Red Sox, though. There isn’t a single thing that seems to be clicking with this team. The pitching is atrocious, defense laughable, and the offense is colder than the Arctic.

On any given night it seems like the team fails in at least one of the major categories if not all three. Boston is known for its offensive prowess, and even with them not being as white-hot as we’re used to, they’re still averaging 4.3 runs per game, which in most cases should be enough.

So that brings us back to the familiar narrative of the pitching hurting the team more than helping. Through the 22 games that Boston has played this season, it feels like, and the numbers will back this up, that they can’t get past the third inning without giving up some runs.

Whether it be enough for the opposition to take the lead or just to eat away at Boston’s total, runs are always on the board. However, tonight has a different feel to it, and that’s because Martin Perez is on the hill.

Some of you may scoff at that notion right out of the gate but hear me out. This season the Red Sox have only been able to rely on two starters and that’s Perez and Nathan Eovaldi.

With Nasty Nate sputtering in his last start, that puts more pressure on the lefty to step his game up and continue his consistency. We all know that the Yankees have one of the most potent lineups in all of baseball, so it won’t be an easy night for Perez, but he can get the job done.

I won’t sit here and try to sugarcoat things and lie to you that the second half of the season will be better, it probably won’t. And though his numbers aren’t Dustin May levels of stellar, Perez has been incredibly strong through his first four starts of the season. That’s why I’m picking him as my player to put an end to the nightmare that has been the last week of losing.

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He’s 2-2 so far this year but the big stat is his ERA, which is currently at 3.38 and is the best of any Red Sox starter. Martin may not be hitting 100mph on the radar gun like Eovaldi but he’s been every bit as reliable as his counterpart. A lot of what we hear in regards to Perez is the fact that hitters don’t tend to smash the ball off of him.

There’s also a massive issue with the Red Sox starters not being able to go deep into games. Well, that’s an understatement. Most nights it feels like they can’t get beyond the first few innings before Ron Roenicke needs to dig into his bullpen.

Perez once again has shown his reliability in this area as he’s gone at least five innings in his last four starts. With the combination of stamina and the ability to keep the ball in the yard, he has the best chance to give Boston a win tonight.

Perez is only signed with Boston through this season but there is the potential chance of the organization claiming their team option for 2021. Considering we don’t know how Chris Sale or Eduardo Rodriguez will look going next season, I think it’s a safe bet that Chaim Bloom will activate the option. If Perez can continue to show his reliability and viability as a starter for the Red Sox, then I think it’d be a wise move by the team to bring him back.