Ninth-inning numbers are glaringly bad for Red Sox bullpen

BOSTON — Consistency has eluded the Red Sox in most areas this season, but the ninth inning isn’t one of them.

Boston’s pitchers have been poor when it comes to recording what should be the last three outs of a game. Monday night was another example in a 4-3, 11-inning loss to the Texas Rangers.

Matt Barnes was the culprit this time, as Nomar Mazara touched him for a two-run single to erase what was a 2-1 lead. Barnes avoided the loss thanks to Brock [...]

BOSTON — Consistency has eluded the Red Sox in most areas this season, but the ninth inning isn’t one of them.

Boston’s pitchers have been poor when it comes to recording what should be the last three outs of a game. Monday night was another example in a 4-3, 11-inning loss to the Texas Rangers.

Matt Barnes was the culprit this time, as Nomar Mazara touched him for a two-run single to erase what was a 2-1 lead. Barnes avoided the loss thanks to Brock Holt’s game-tying single in the bottom half of the inning, but the Red Sox squandered a chance to chalk up a relatively routine victory on another night when Chris Sale was dominant.

“I just sucked tonight,” Barnes said. “That’s plain and simple.”

Boston’s collective earned-run average in the ninth now sits at an even 6.00, its worst in any inning of a regulation game. Red Sox pitching allows its highest batting average at .286, its highest slugging percentage at .490 and its highest OPS at .860. Boston simply hasn’t been able to hone in on an adequate replacement for Craig Kimbrel, who finally ended his prolonged free agency by signing a three-year deal with the Cubs last week.

“On a daily basis it might be someone different,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “That’s who we are in the bullpen. That’s our nature.”

Winning the last two World Series showed Cora a different way to do things in relief. Ken Giles and Kimbrel were largely ineffective for the Astros and Red Sox, respectively, and their clubs captured championships almost in spite of their efforts in October. Starting pitchers were employed to paper over the cracks, a remedy not available to Cora prior to the end of summer.

For now, Cora has to rely on Barnes, Brandon Workman, Heath Hembree, Marcus Walden and Ryan Brasier. All five right-handers have enjoyed stretches of dominance and futility over the season’s first two months, leaving the manager with few trustworthy alternatives. The long leash that served Cora well last season — Joe Kelly’s playoff performance is a prime example — has betrayed him in 2019.

“A lot of people have their thoughts about the ninth inning — that those three outs are bigger than the first 24,” Cora said. “There are others who feel there are people who are ready for that and can do it there.

“I don’t know. I really don’t know. I just feel that we’re trying to maximize our talent and maximize our strength in matching up.”

Brasier (1.32 ERA prior to May 2, 6.00 since), Barnes (1.50 ERA prior to May 19, 9.82 since) and Walden (1.37 ERA prior to May 19, 5.59 since) have all regressed considerably. Hembree (5.56 ERA prior to April 23, 0.52 since) has done the opposite. Workman’s lone real blemish came April 17 at Yankee Stadium when he allowed three earned runs and recorded a lone out — he’s surrendered just six hits and three earned runs in his last 21 2/3 frames.

“Every part of a baseball team — bullpen, bats, starters — goes through little ups and downs,” Brasier said. “I think we’re just in a little rough patch right now. Every day, coming in and trying to get out of it.”

The simple solution would seem to be acquiring some outside help, and that will require Boston to tread water long enough until non-contenders begin selling off their pieces in July. That’s also not Cora’s department — president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski would be tasked with making any roster upgrades. Bringing in Steve Pearce and Nathan Eovaldi prior to last year’s deadline went a long way toward bringing the Red Sox a fourth title this century.

“We’re always looking for ways to improve,” Cora said. “That’s what the organization has done. We’ve got to put ourselves in a situation where, yes, if we do this, we’re going to be elite again.

“Thinking ahead, yes, it’s always great. That’s what we do. But we need to get this right first and go from there.”

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On Twitter: @BillKoch25