Porcello Stellar On The Mound Again, But His Base Running Could Use Some Work
By Matthew Geagan, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- After getting pounded by the Blue Jays his last time on the mound, Rick Porcello was back to mowing down opponents for the Red Sox Tuesday night.
The Boston starter twirled seven fantastic innings against the Phillies, holding one of the National League's best teams to just two hits while striking out 10 in a 2-1 victory. Porcello earned the win to improve to 15-5 on the season, with his 15 W's tied for the most in the AL with Cleveland's Corey Kluber and New York's Luis Severino.
"Just pitched a lot better," Porcello said of his outing Tuesday night compared to last Thursday in Toronto. "You saw both games. I was throwing pitches right down the middle and walking guys in Toronto. Today for the most part I was able to stay out of the middle of the plate, not give up any free passes."
Tuesday's start was reminiscent to Porcello's gem against the Yankees on August 3, when he needed just 86 pitches to go the distance for a one-hitter. Like that outing against New York, Porcello's only blemish on Tuesday night was a solo homer, a fifth-inning shot by Rhys Hoskins to knot the game at 1-1.
Porcello shook off catcher Sandy Leon before surrendering the homer, something he likely won't do again.
"No disrespect to any other catcher I've thrown to, but he's the best catcher I've ever thrown to," Porcello said of his backstop, who gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead in the third with a solo blast. "He's prepared for every pitcher, starting or bullpen. He's kind of the heartbeat of our pitching staff. We rely on him a lot, and he's always on point. He always knows what pitches to throw to give guys different looks. He's as good as it gets as a game-caller and a catcher."
Porcello threw 61 of his 90 pitches for strikes, and would have pitched the eighth inning had Tuesday's game been played in an American League park. But with his spot in the order due up second in the top of the eighth, he was lifted for pinch-hitter Brock Holt, a move by manager Alex Cora that was promptly rewarded. Holt absolutely demolished the first pitch he saw, a fastball by reliever Tommy Hunter that he sent off the big screen in right field for Boston's first pinch-hit homer of the year.
While that move paid off in a big way, sending the Red Sox to their 86th win of the season, Porcello had also showed off his lumber earlier in the tilt. Much like he did in his last start in an NL park in Washington, Porcello ripped a double in the top of the third off Phillies starter Nick Pivetta. It was a beautiful piece of hitting, though Porcello's head-first slide into second was as awkward as they get.
At least it provided a little comic relief for his teammates, and baseball fans everywhere.
"It was bad. It was really bad," Cora said of Porcello's diving belly flop. "When I saw him just kind of like stopping and jumping, I was like, 'Oh God,' but, I mean, they played probably other positions when they were growing up, so he's a good athlete."
"I don't know how everyone sees the ball come in so well," said Porcello. "I was running and couldn't see anything. It was blurry. I figured the throw was coming in so I better slide. That was it.
"I saw the replay of it. It didn't look very good," he admitted. "It was more of a crawl into second. I'm not going to dare to rate it. It was pretty bad."
The Red Sox have one more series in an NL park during the regular season, a three-game set against the Braves in early September, so Porcello may get another chance to show off his bat -- and base running abilities. With a .400 batting average, and a pair of doubles on the season, Boston should feel pretty good should they need Porcello to make another start in a National League part come late October.
