Joe Kelly To Start For Red Sox Wednesday Night In Houston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The struggling Red Sox have lost six in a row, and it'll be up to beleaguered righty Joe Kelly to stop the bleeding Wednesday night in Houston.
Kelly will return to the major league squad after making four starts for Triple-A Pawtucket. In the majors this year, Kelly went 2-5 with a 5.67 ERA and a 1.94 SO/BB ratio in 14 starts. In Triple-A, Kelly went 1-1 with a 2.84 ERA, bettering his K/BB ratio to 3.00.
The Red Sox acquired Kelly, along with outfielder/first baseman Allen Craig, from St. Louis last year in exchange for John Lackey. Kelly owned a 3.25 ERA in his career in St. Louis, but he has a 4.96 ERA since joining Boston.
With regard to the Red Sox' current losing streak, manager John Farrell said the team will need solid pitching in order to start generating some victories.
"We've got to lead from the mound. We've got to give our offense to get on track," Farrell said. "This is frustrating for everyone involved."
The Red Sox lost 8-3 on Tuesday night, with rookie Brian Johnson making his major league debut. Johnson allowed four runs, all earned, over 4.1 innings. That loss came on the heels of a four-game sweep at the hands of the Angels, a series in which the Red Sox scored just four runs.
