The Red Sox’ bats finally came alive Saturday in an 11-1 win over the Twins in Minnesota. Despite the big offensive day, the Sox entered play on Sunday ranked 23rd in all of baseball in runs scored on the season with 121 total. Due mostly to the offensive futility, the Sox are currently looking up at the Yankees and Orioles in the AL East standings.
One thing that hasn’t held the Sox back this season, though, has been their starting pitching. Chris Sale has been otherworldly overall, but Boston’s other starters have stepped up their game as well. Drew Pomeranz (3-1, 4.00 ERA), who will get the ball Tuesday when the Sox open up a three-game set with the Brewers in Milwaukee, has had only one dud of a start this season in five games. The lefty has been pretty consistent this season after a rocky end of 2016. He has given up just two earned runs in each of his last three games, and in his first start of the season – April 11 against Baltimore – he allowed just one earned run.
Pomerantz has simply been a different, and better pitcher so far this season than Sox fans saw after the mid-season trade with San Diego last year. He has embraced pitching in Boston.
“This is a much different place than I’ve ever been,” Pomeranz said. “I feel like everyone is our rival. It’s not hard to get fired up for these games.”
Eduardo Rodriguez (1-1, 3.07 ERA) has also proven to be capable this year, as he hasn’t given up more than three earned runs in a game since his season opener at Detroit – a game in which he surrendered four earned runs.
And then there’s the reigning AL CY Young Award winner, Rick Porcello (2-4, 3.95 ERA). Like Sale, Porcello hasn’t received the best run support this season as he has a 2-4 win-loss record. But Porcello has very much looked like the same pitcher from last season. He was exceptionally sharp in the Sox’ blowout win over the Twins on Saturday, giving up just one earned run on seven hits while striking out six. He has had only out outing this season (April 14 vs. Tampa Bay) in which he’s given up more than four earned runs. The only run he gave up on Saturday was a solo home run to Robbie Grossman.
