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After splitting with the White Sox the Guardians move on to Boston for a four-game series at Fenway. The Red Sox swept the G’s in Cleveland on June 24-26, but that was the high water mark of the Red Sox season to date. After that series they were 42-31 but have since gone 6-17. They have lost 13 of 16.
Since sweeping the Guardians in late June Fangraphs ranks the Red Sox 25th in WAR, 24th in offense, 24th in defense, 25th in wRC+, last in team ERA (6.77!), last in FIP, 29th in pitching WAR, 28th in starters' WAR, and 22nd in bullpen WAR. We seem to be catching them at the right time as they are in free fall.
Injuries have played a big part in the Red Sox struggles. Nathan Eovaldi was out five weeks. Rafael Devers and Trevor Story are on the 10-day IL while Rich Hill, Chris Sale, and Michael Wacha (2.69 ERA) are also out. After being out all year Sale pitched in two games before going down again last week. They have nine pitchers on IL.
Nick Pivetta takes on Zach Plesac in the opener. Pivetta has been the Sox’s most dependable starter, leading the team with 19 starts. He’s 8-7 with a 4.50 ERA. Pivetta is a 29-year-old right-hander with a career line of 38-45, 5.06, mostly in the National League.
Pivetta has been a tale of two seasons. In his first 16 starts he was 8-5, 3.23. But his last three starts have been disasters; 13.1 innings, 20 earned runs, 23 hits, and 7 walks. 30 of the 68 batters he faced reached base. To be fair, the opponents were the Rays (once) and Yankees (twice).
The question is whether we’ll get the guy who had a 3.23 ERA in his first 16 starts or the guy who got hammered in his last three. He’ll have had nine days off to try and get straightened out.
Plesac has allowed just 16 earned runs in his last 9 starts for a 2.84 ERA. He has not faced the Sox this year. J.D. Martinez is 5-for-8 against him with two doubles and a home run. Martinez is listed as day-to-day so hopefully he will not play tonight.
The Red Sox have been one of the worst teams in baseball over the last 23 games - offensively, defensively, and pitching. Rich Hill, who beat the Guardians in June, is out with an injury. Their best hitter, Devers, is out. He’s hitting .324/.981 and was 6-for-13 in the first series between these teams. Christian Arroyo, who went 3-for-4 in the first series, is also out.
Alex Verdugo was 5-for-11 (.455) against the G’s but is hitting .259 against the rest of baseball.
The Guardians are catching them at a good time, but is this the week the Red Sox get themselves back on track?
The Guardians have not announced a starter for Tuesday. It won’t be Pilkington, who pitched Saturday, or anybody from the normal rotation since Civale is out. The Red Sox have not announced a starter for that game, either.
Since sweeping the Guardians in late June Fangraphs ranks the Red Sox 25th in WAR, 24th in offense, 24th in defense, 25th in wRC+, last in team ERA (6.77!), last in FIP, 29th in pitching WAR, 28th in starters' WAR, and 22nd in bullpen WAR. We seem to be catching them at the right time as they are in free fall.
Injuries have played a big part in the Red Sox struggles. Nathan Eovaldi was out five weeks. Rafael Devers and Trevor Story are on the 10-day IL while Rich Hill, Chris Sale, and Michael Wacha (2.69 ERA) are also out. After being out all year Sale pitched in two games before going down again last week. They have nine pitchers on IL.
Nick Pivetta takes on Zach Plesac in the opener. Pivetta has been the Sox’s most dependable starter, leading the team with 19 starts. He’s 8-7 with a 4.50 ERA. Pivetta is a 29-year-old right-hander with a career line of 38-45, 5.06, mostly in the National League.
Pivetta has been a tale of two seasons. In his first 16 starts he was 8-5, 3.23. But his last three starts have been disasters; 13.1 innings, 20 earned runs, 23 hits, and 7 walks. 30 of the 68 batters he faced reached base. To be fair, the opponents were the Rays (once) and Yankees (twice).
The question is whether we’ll get the guy who had a 3.23 ERA in his first 16 starts or the guy who got hammered in his last three. He’ll have had nine days off to try and get straightened out.
Plesac has allowed just 16 earned runs in his last 9 starts for a 2.84 ERA. He has not faced the Sox this year. J.D. Martinez is 5-for-8 against him with two doubles and a home run. Martinez is listed as day-to-day so hopefully he will not play tonight.
The Red Sox have been one of the worst teams in baseball over the last 23 games - offensively, defensively, and pitching. Rich Hill, who beat the Guardians in June, is out with an injury. Their best hitter, Devers, is out. He’s hitting .324/.981 and was 6-for-13 in the first series between these teams. Christian Arroyo, who went 3-for-4 in the first series, is also out.
Alex Verdugo was 5-for-11 (.455) against the G’s but is hitting .259 against the rest of baseball.
The Guardians are catching them at a good time, but is this the week the Red Sox get themselves back on track?
The Guardians have not announced a starter for Tuesday. It won’t be Pilkington, who pitched Saturday, or anybody from the normal rotation since Civale is out. The Red Sox have not announced a starter for that game, either.
