So Johan Oviedo’s Red Sox career hasn’t started the way anyone would’ve liked. Oviedo didn’t crack the rotation out of spring training and then was roughed up in his first relief appearance against the Astros on Monday, displaying a concerning dip in velocity. But Andrew Bailey and The Run Prevention Unit have some ideas as to how to fix him and aren’t worried as of yet. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)
As for that decline in velocity, it’s natural to wonder if there’s a health issue. But Alex Cora says
he’s fine: “Obviously with his injuries in the past, [it’s] something that we have to be very careful in this new role. But I think he’s gonna be OK.” (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
It could be especially important to get him fixed over the next few days, as the Red Sox bullpen will be missing a key contributor. That’s because Garett Whitlock is anticipating the birth of his second child any day now. Going from one to two is when the parenting gets real, Whit. There’s no more taking turns with your spouse watching the kid so one of you can meet up with friends at the bar once or twice a week. Good luck and godspeed. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
And you know what starts to happen when you’re overtired because you have a newborn in the house? You start to forget things. Like the count. That’s what happened last night when Brayan Bello should’ve struck out Cam Smith, only for a swinging strike to be inexplicably called a ball. Apparently, the only person on the field who noticed was Astros manager Joe Espada, who, understandably, kept his mouth shut. (Chandler Rome, The Athletic)
In fact, not only did Alex Cora not notice the botched call in the moment, but it sure sounds like he didn’t even know about it until he was asked about it by the media after the game. Not great, Alex!
So the Sox are 1-4 after the first trip through the pitching rotation and are looking for Garrett Crochet to act as the stopper this afternoon in Houston. Which, believe it or not, is exactly how they started things off last season. (Rob Bradford, WEEI)
