WooSox pitching has turned a corner; what has changed in Worcester?
The WooSox are currently sitting one game above .500, coming into the week at 35-34. They just came off a series win against first place Norfolk, who had not lost a series all year long. The bats came through when needed against a solid pitching staff this past week and the pitching kept runs off the board. The first two months of the season were a struggle, but this month has shown a glimpse of hope.
As the month turned to June, the WooSox pitching staff has seemed to turn a big corner. The team ERA has dropped by .40 points since the beginning of the month. Starting rotation members have made quality starts for the first time all season and the bullpen has come through when called upon?
So, what changed?
New faces have given the WooSox a much needed lift on the pitching side of things. We have seen Shane Drohan, Rio Gomez, Brendan Nail, Theo Denlinger, and Ryan Fernandez all make their way up from Portland this year. Drohan and Gomez have pitched well in the starting rotation in June and have given a taxed bullpen a bit of a rest with the length they have provided in starts.
While all five have shown flashes since their promotions, Gomez and Nail have been the best out of the group. Gomez has started three games and has put up a 3.55 ERA. Nail has pitched in three games as well and has put up a 2.84 ERA in relief. He also has 9 strikeouts in 6.1 innings pitched, which is good for a 12.8 K/9. Drohan has also continued to look better as each start passes as he has grabbed two wins in his last three outings.
Rebounds from a few guys on the pitching staff can also point to better results. We saw Brandon Walter, Chris Murphy, and AJ Politi all struggle to begin the season. Walter picked up his first win of the season in June and didn’t allow a walk for the first time all season his last time out. Murphy has transitioned to a bullpen role and has not allowed an earned run in 13 innings pitched in Worcester. Politi has taken over the closer role for Worcester in June and has put up a 1.13 ERA in 7 appearances.
It is also worth noting that the pitching has taken a turn since Jorge Alfaro’s release. This could be due to a number of things. Caleb Hamilton Ronaldo Hernández saw an uptick of time behind the plate following the release. Hamilton’s best attribute is his defense, and WooSox manager Chad Tracy called him “the best receiver in Triple-A” earlier in the season. Hernández has a ton of familiarity with most of the pitchers on the staff, due to him being in Worcester since last 2021. Stephen Scott has also seen time behind the plate since his promotion, which also has familiarity with some of the pitchers due to coming up in the system together.
Looking at it from a high level perspective, all three factors can be seen as reasons why the pitching staff has improved. New faces that have thrown well in Double-A will always help. Bounce backs from slow starts will always help. Familiarity and defense from the catcher position won’t hurt either.
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