Craig Kimbrel's Control Struggles Officially An Issue For Red Sox

BOSTON (CBS) -- It's early, yes, but Felger & Mazz are concerned about Craig Kimbrel's lack of control thus far for the Red Sox.

It reared its head Monday afternoon, when Kimbrel inherited a bases-loaded, nobody-out situation in a tie game. After striking out Edwin Encarnacion, Kimbrel walked Troy Tulowitzki, allowing the go-ahead run to score. Kimbrel then lost a long battle with Russell Martin, who sent a two-run single into center field to open up a 4-1 lead for Toronto in the eighth inning.

While Mike Felger and Tony Massarotti weren't officially hitting the panic button, they can't ignore Kimbrel's lack of control this season.

"We have seen this now with Craig Kimbrel. We saw it on the home opener against Baltimore, he walked a couple of batters and gave up that three-run home run," Felger said. "We saw it over weekend, he got the save but walked a batter. And then today he walks in the go-ahead run and he can't find the plate. This is, again, you saw it early in Baltimore to open up the season. He's good for a walk an inning.

"This is an issue. If I'm facing Craig Kimbrel, I just wait him out."

Mazz agreed.

"Yeah, wait him out. Don't swing at the breaking ball and wait for a fastball in the strike zone. And if it's not close, let it go," Mazz said. "It just feels like he's trick or treat. If he's on, he's a great weapon. He's unhittable. You've seen a couple of three-strikeout innings where he's just awesome and you say, 'Wow, how can you hit that?' But it doesn't look to me like he can repeat it.

Mazz admitted that it might just be a bump in the road in the early season. But the mechanics do stand out.

"He's just reaching back and whipping that thing out of his ass. It just doesn't feel to me like he's in control of his body, the pitch, any of it," Mazz said. "I'm a little worried about this. That's now the second time he's come into a tie game and he's blown it. They're 6-6. And you add it up with a couple of the managerial decisions at the end of these games, and as much as it's 6-6 and it's not bad, it should be better. I almost feel like they should be 8-4 or at least 7-5. I feel like they've given away a couple. I know that they're fighting at the ends of these games, so I like what the offense has given them but it's hard to not get frustrated at the end here the last two days."

While Kimbrel certainly represents one of the stronger parts of the Red Sox roster, Felger nevertheless is keeping track of the struggles.

"Keep an eye on it," Felger said. "Can you afford in Petco Park or in the National League to walk a guy and then strike out everybody else? The lineups are just not the same, and so can you afford to be a little loose in the National League? But you come here, the book gets out on you early, 'Wait him out.' That's what I would do. I would make him throw strikes. I don't know if he can consistently. We'll just see, National League/American League on Craig Kimbrel. His stuff is still electric, just gas, and he can strike you out. But if you're patient, can you wait him out?"