Welcome back to Read Sox. The Red Sox finally won some games over the weekend, and we’ll highlight some of the reasons why, including Mike Napoli’s hot bat and Wade Miley’s turnaround.
Going Deep
By now, you probably know about Mike Napoli’s airplane video session with Dustin Pedroia concerning the first baseman’s hitting woes. Napoli responded with a 9-for-21 (.429) week with five home runs and 10 RBIs. It turns out there was more to Napoli’s monster homestand than just a few tips from a teammate, however. The Boston Herald’s Stephen Hewitt writes about another stroke of luck that may have played in Napoli’s favor. Before Thursday’s series finale against the Rangers, Napoli asked a fan – a 9-year-old boy named Ethan – to sign his bat. He used that same bat against the Angels this weekend, hitting four home runs in three games to lift the Sox to a much-needed series win. As CSNNE.com’s Jimmy Toscano points out, Napoli has been historically good against the Angels, the team that drafted him in 2000, throughout his career. So good, in fact, that he owns the best all-time slugging percentage (.739) and OPS (1.192) against his former team since 1961.
No pitcher better embodies the Red Sox’ pitching staff’s improvements since coach Juan Nieves’ firing, and Carl Willis’ subsequent hiring, than Wade Miley. The left-hander proved that again on Sunday with his longest outing of the season, tossing eight innings and allowing one run on four hits in a 6-1 win over the Angels. The Boston Globe’s Andrew MacDougall broke down Miley’s turnaround following the southpaw’s victorious third straight quality start, highlighting his fast pace and pitch selection. Miley is 3-0 with a 1.25 ERA and 10 strikeouts in his last three starts. For the second straight game he credited his use and command of his fastball as the biggest reasons for his recent success. According to PITCHf/x, Miley’s fastball touched 95 miles per hour Sunday, and he threw it 38 times for 27 strikes while giving up just one hit compared to 16 strikes not in play. As was highlighted in our weekend preview, Miley had good results with his heater against the Rangers on Tuesday as well, using it as his strikeout pitch to get out of multiple jams.
Quick hits
Napoli isn’t the only player needing help to get his season on track. As John Tomase of WEEI.com writes, Mookie Betts received words of encouragement from general manager Ben Cheringon before Saturday’s game against the Angels, reaffirming his faith in the 22-year-old to improve on his .248 BABIP and start finding holes in the field. Betts went 2-for-4 Saturday night with two RBIs in the Sox’ 8-3 win and had four hits in the three games following the pep talk.
Coming off a pair of quality starts, Joe Kelly suffered another horrid setback Monday against the Twins in his worst outing of the season. The right-hander gave up seven runs in 1.2 innings, and, as the Providence Journal’s Tim Britton writes, reminded everyone the Sox’s rotation is still flawed despite the turnaround. Britton points out that Kelly’s implosion moved the Red Sox into a tie for the league lead for the most times a starter has allowed five-plus runs this season – it was the 14th time in 45 games. Perhaps it’s Kelly’s turn to lose his spot in the rotation.
In honor of Memorial Day on Monday, MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith writes a worthwhile feature on Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart and his relationship with his brother, Jace, a United States Army veteran. The story highlights the brothers’ relationship growing up and the mutual admiration between the two and their chosen career paths.
Major League Baseball lost a pair of pitchers to suspension last week after foreign substances were found on the Braves’ Will Smith and the Orioles’ Brian Matusz, both of whom were ejected and face eight-game bans. Red Sox manager John Farrell has a solution to this problem. As WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford writes, Farrell suggested MLB find a legal substance pitchers can use to improve their grip on the ball. Another possibility Farrell noted was using a baseball similar to the ones used in the NPB, which he said is easier to grip.
Three Good Game Stories
After combining for 14 runs in their two wins over the Angels, the Red Sox, as MassLive.com’s Jen McCaffrey writes, suffered another setback offensively in their 7-2 loss to the Twins Monday afternoon.
As Jimmy Toscano of CSNNE.com writes, the Red Sox got about as complete a team effort as possible in their win over the Angels Sunday, receiving contributions at the plate, in the field and on the mound.
The Providence Journal’s Brian MacPherson writes about Napoli’s two-homer game against C.J. Wilson on Saturday and how it may have served as payback for a prank the left-handed pitcher pulled on him more than three years ago.
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