Troubling trend emerging for Red Sox pitching staff
Starters failing to get job done in early going
Although the 2023 season is just four games old, the Red Sox bullpen is already under duress.
Three of Boston’s four starting pitchers have failed to work at least five innings, with two of them coming up short of four. Tanner Houck is currently responsible for the longest outing by a starter, going five innings on Sunday in a 9-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
While it’s far too soon to panic, it can’t be ignored that Corey Kluber, Chris Sale, Kutter Crawford and Houck combined to throw just 15 1/3 innings, leaving the Red Sox with the second-fewest innings pitched by starters in all of baseball.
Thanks to Boston’s offense in the season-opening series against them, only the Orioles have received fewer innings (13 2/3) from their starting rotation.
Among teams with four games played, the Red Sox have seen their relievers throw the second-most innings (20 2/3). Boston’s bullpen has also had a heavier workload than that of the Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Mets, Colorado Rockies, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, who have all played five games.
Rest days have been hard to come by, too. Three relievers (Kaleb Ort, Zack Kelly, Chris Martin) have already made three appearences, while four additional arms (Josh Winckowski, Richard Bleier, Ryan Brasier, John Schreiber) have made two.
It goes without saying that starters need to begin going deeper in games, but they need to do so soon. Opening the season on a six-game homestand is a gift, but it’s one that this pitching staff hasn’t had the luxury of enjoying.
The Red Sox need to do everything they can to take advantage of the final two games of their current series with the Pittsburgh Pirates, which comes before a stretch in which Boston plays 20 games in 21 days.
Thirteen of those games are on the road.
Playing the Detroit Tigers after closing their three-game set with the Pirates also presents the Red Sox with another golden opportunity to take some weight of the bullpen’s shoulders. Things will get harder from there, as Boston heads to Tampa Bay for four games with the Rays before returning home to face the Los Angeles Angels and Minnesota Twins.
Right-hander Nick Pivetta will look to provide the Red Sox with their first quality start on Tuesday when he takes the hill against the Pirates. Kluber then gets a chance at redemption on Wednesday before Sale gets the nod in the series opener in Detroit.
Follow Nick on Twitter @thenickgalle
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Obviously the Red Sox pitching coach hasn't taught them how to prepare for pitching in a game. You figure a pitching coach is there to teach or show the pitchers how to do their job