Rick Porcello To Start Game 1 Of ALDS For Red Sox In Cleveland
BOSTON (CBS) -- Rick Porcello rode a career season to the top of the Red Sox rotation in 2016. The right-hander's success has now earned him the start in Game 1 of the American League Divisional Series on the road against the Cleveland Indians. He will oppose Trevor Bauer in the series opener on Thursday.
Porcello finished the season with a 22-4 record, leading the major leagues in wins. His 3.15 ERA was fifth-best in the American League and he finished eighth in strikeouts with 189. Porcello's pinpoint control was on display all season, as he led the major leagues with a 5.91 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He will be one of the front-runners for the AL Cy Young award.
The 27-year-old was all business when asked about what he's looking for in his start against Cleveland.
"[The Indians] have some different guys and some different looks, but the core guys are still the same," Porcello told Ian Browne of MLB.com. "They do a bunch of different things to come at you. We have to prepare for that and be ready to counter."
Thursday will mark Porcello's first postseason start since 2011 as a member of the Detroit Tigers. He is 0-1 with a 4.80 ERA in two career postseason starts.
