Porcello's nightmare season continues with another shaky start
Rick Porcello couldn't be further from his Cy Young form.
The Boston Red Sox right-hander was shelled for a third consecutive start on Saturday, allowing seven runs (two home runs) off 10 hits over six innings against the Houston Astros to see his ERA balloon to 5.05 on the season.
After what was a breakout season in 2016, Porcello finds himself ranked 65th in ERA and 70th in WHIP among 82 qualified starters and has given up an MLB leading 124 hits this season.
"For Rick, the night-and-day difference has always been the strike zone," Red Sox manager John Farrell said, according to Christian Boutwell of MLB.com. "This is something with his delivery he has continually worked on between starts and yet the consistency inside of a game has not been there."
AS OF JUNE 19
| YEAR | W-L | ERA | IP | WHIP | SO | HR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 3-9 | 5.05 | 92.2 | 1.53 | 85 | 16 |
| 2016 | 12-2 | 3.47 | 119.1 | 1.16 | 100 | 14 |
One major factor in Porcello's struggles has been the limited effectiveness he's received from his sinker and his inability to keep the ball down in the strike zone. Opposing batters are hitting .408 on the pitch with seven home runs and 12 doubles this season after hitting .286 with 11 home runs and 15 doubles all of last season.
"I know what it is to fix," Porcello said, according to Chad Jennings of the Boston Herald. "I'm just having a really hard time doing it."
With Steven Wright shut down for the year and both Eduardo Rodriguez and Brian Johnson on the disabled list, Farrell said the only option is to keep Porcello in the rotation with the hope that he works through his struggles.
"Honestly there aren't any alternatives," Farrell said. "Rick is a key member of this team and we've got to continue to work to get it right because we see inside of every start that he's made, there's been stretches where he's thrown the ball as he's capable, and yet we've got to get back to what makes him most consistent."