Joe Kelly On Miley's Outburst: Always Frustrating When Someone Takes Ball From You
BOSTON (CBS) -- Another game, another loss for the Red Sox.
Their losing streak is up to seven following their 4-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves Monday night at Fenway, and they're just half a game away from being the worst team in the American League.
The team held another meeting ahead of Monday's game, though like every other meeting they've held this season, it doesn't seem to have worked.
Red Sox pitcher Joe Kelly joined 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich on Tuesday, promoting Nivea Men shaving products, and said Monday's meeting was pretty simple.
Watch: Kelly Tells WBZ-TV He Shaves His Arms Before Starts
"There really wasn't too much said. It was just trying to stay positive with each other and make sure everyone has each other's back," said Kelly. "We haven't been playing well; we've been pitching bad and hitting well, and if we're pitching well we're hitting bad. We just need to pick each other up and play better baseball."
Kelly, who will start on Wednesday in Atlanta, said manager John Farrell did most of the talking in Monday's meeting.
Fans and media are questioning Farrell these days, especially following last week's dugout tirade by Wade Miley. The pitcher didn't appreciate getting lifted after giving up five runs in four innings in Baltimore, and expressed his disdain to Farrell in front of his teammates and TV cameras.
Farrell defended his player's "competitiveness" that night, but the following day said it was "unacceptable." Kelly said he wouldn't express his emotions like that, but understands where his teammate was coming from.
"I know what everyone else knows. I wasn't in the dugout at the time, I was watching video in the video room of my mechanics. I saw what was going on in the dugout. Those two talked and apologized, whatever happened. It was Miley being competitive," said Kelly. "He felt he was going to be able to turn it around in that game, he just had a little frustration come out [in front of everyone].
"When you're out there you're a competitor," said Kelly. "It's kind of like Gladiators going in; if you get cut one or two times you're not going to surrender and get killed. It's something you've been bred your whole life; if someone takes the ball from you you're going to be mad whether you pitched well or pitched bad. I can see where Wade is coming from; he was just frustrated."
Kelly said he saw something similar during his time in St. Louis between Lance Lynn and Cardinals manager Mike Matheny.
"You just have to know your players," he said. "There is no disrespect. Stuff like that happens on other teams."
While he said there is obvious frustration among the team, it's not going to stop them from giving it their all every time they take the field.
"Every day we come to the field we're happy-go-lucky and looking forward to the game we have to play. It's a really long season, and we're just trying to come to the field confident every day and try to pick everyone up," said Kelly.
