Rocky first turn for Red Sox rotation

BOSTON --- That wasn’t exactly a glorious first turn through the Red Sox rotation.

And no, that isn’t a mistake. Boston named just three starting pitchers exiting Summer Camp, and all three took the ball at Fenway Park this weekend against the usually dreadful Orioles.

Nathan Eovaldi was strong Friday night in his adopted role of ace. Martin Perez and Ryan Weber were decidedly less impressive. What comes next besides a bullpen phone ringing frequently is [...]

BOSTON --- That wasn’t exactly a glorious first turn through the Red Sox rotation.

And no, that isn’t a mistake. Boston named just three starting pitchers exiting Summer Camp, and all three took the ball at Fenway Park this weekend against the usually dreadful Orioles.

Nathan Eovaldi was strong Friday night in his adopted role of ace. Martin Perez and Ryan Weber were decidedly less impressive. What comes next besides a bullpen phone ringing frequently is anybody’s guess.

Josh Osich will serve as the opener for Zack Godley on Monday against the Mets. Matt Hall will likely cover a maximum of five innings during his scheduled Tuesday start against New York.

"When you have 15 guys on your pitching staff it allows you to be creative," Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said prior to Sunday’s 7-4 loss to Baltimore. "I kind of like the idea, if you don’t have five true starters that you like and that have experience, that you piece it together. That’s okay. I don’t mind doing that."

Red Sox fans of all ages will be hoping Roenicke doesn’t wind up eating those words. It’s hard to imagine having less of a chance to win than the one provided the last two days by Perez and Weber.

Boston’s 7-2 defeat on Saturday started with a 5-0 hole after just 12 Oriole batters. Perez allowed six early hits before retiring 10 of the last 11 men he faced. The game was essentially over by the time he was lifted for Heath Hembree in the sixth.

It was more of the same Sunday, with Weber serving up a pair of two-run homers in 3 2/3 innings. He failed to record a strikeout and induced three swings and misses in 65 pitches. In an age prior to social distancing you might have imagined Baltimore’s hitters fighting at the bat rack to be the next man in the box.

Now comes the real fun – the Red Sox attempting to morph into Rays North. Tampa Bay has made the most frequent and effective use of the opener and bulk concepts, and Boston chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has his new organization set to embrace the philosophy. Truth is the Red Sox don’t have much of a choice.

The absence of Chris Sale (left elbow) and Eduardo Rodriguez (COVID-19) has forced each Boston pitcher to climb two rungs of the organizational ladder. The trade of David Price to the Dodgers along with Mookie Betts further upset preseason plans for 2020. What’s left is a combination of the likely staffs with the Red Sox and Triple-A Pawtucket.

Perez signed with Boston in December 2019 – at that point, prior to the Boston-Los Angeles blockbuster, he was essentially the No. 5 starter. Weber enjoyed a strong spring training and Summer Camp to put himself on the radar, but he was almost certainly ticketed for the PawSox around the time Perez agreed to his deal.

Godley is one of four pitchers acquired by the Red Sox over the last nine days, joining left-hander Stephen Gonsalves and right-handers Dylan Covey and Robert Stock. Their respective earned-run averages during their most recent stints in the big leagues are all north of 5.95. Stock’s was nearly double that in 10 appearances with the Padres last season – 10.13 over 10 2/3 innings.

Eovaldi’s next scheduled start comes at Citi Field on Wednesday night. Boston will play a pair of return games against the Mets to open a seven-game road trip. The Yankees and Rays will follow as the calendar flips to August.

Hold on to your hats.

bkoch@providencejournal.com

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On Twitter: @BillKoch25