Posted on by Erik J. Heels

* 2015 Red Sox Season Brain Dump

Before Dave Dombrowski starts doing his thing, I figured I should do my thing and give my $0.02 on the 2015 (and 2016) Red Sox season.

The Starting Rotation

My favorite stat from the 2004 Red Sox season is that no starting pitcher missed a start due to injury. I don’t think that has happened since.

At the start of the 2015 season, I had a theory that the Red Sox were going to struggle because they lacked a true ace. The reason having a true number one starter is important – especially in the postseason – is that your ace is going against their ace. You never heard Roger Clemens or Pedro Martinez complain about “run support,” which is one of the most bogus and misplaced concepts in baseball. Yes, you have to score runs for your team to win, but there are intangibles to an ace that are difficult to measure. Maybe the Red Sox hitters were more relaxed and confident with Pedro on the mound. All I know is that no matter the opposing team or opposing pitcher, when Pedro was starting, more often than not, you could pencil in a “W” on the schedule.

Also, the “win” stat for pitchers in baseball is among the silliest of all baseball stats. A starting pitcher has to go 5+ innings and leave the game with a lead to get credit for a win. For relievers, the rule is even more silly. Basically, the reliever who pitches the best – presumably in the opinion of the official scorer – gets the win.

For a starting pitcher, the stat that I think matters is whether or not your team wins the games you started. Yes, you can “pitch well” and the team can still lose, or you an “pitch poorly” and the team can still win. But isn’t winning the bottom line? You don’t get extra credit for losing close games. In the 1975 World Series, the Red Sox outperformed the Reds in nearly every statistical category except the one the matters: wins. Based on the games-your-team-won-that-you-started theory, here is how I rank the 2015 Red Sox starting rotation:

1. Wade Miley. Miley was the only Sox pitcher to make all 32 of his starts, and the Red Sox won 15 of those. About the only bad thing that you can say about Miley is that he once yelled at his (ineffective, but that’s another story) manager in the dugout in front of TV cameras. So what? The dude took the ball every 5 days and never complained. Every other pitcher on the staff would have a worse record but for Miley eating up innings. His average slot of 2.8 is about right: he’s a #3 guy.

2. Rick Porcello. Porcello made 28 starts, and the Red Sox won 13 of those. He started the year streaky and ended it pitching inconsistently. Fortunately, the Sox are paying him a ton of money, so there’s that. His average slot of 2.4 is too high: he’s also a #3 guy.

3. Joe Kelly. Kelly made 25 starts, and the Red Sox won 13 of those. Kelly’s season can best be described as baffling. He started off inconsistently while throwing a million miles per hour. Then he lost a bunch, got demoted, then returned to the majors and put together a string of eight straight wins. His average slot was 5.1, but I think that’s infinitely too high: he should be your 8th-inning guy.

4. Eduardo Rodriguez. Rodriguez made 21 starts, and the Red Sox won 13 of those. When Erod is not tipping his pitches or pitching during the daytime, he’s fun to watch. His average slot was also 2.4: he can be a #2 guy.

5. Clay Buchholz. Buchholz made 18 starts, and the Red Sox won 8 of those. Long before Buchholz got injured, he was delivering losses for the team while inexplicably holding the “ace” title. Buchholz is not an ace and never will be. His average slot was 1.0, but he’s your #5 guy.

6. Henry Owens. Owens made 11 starts, and the Red Sox won 5 of those. It’s probably too small of a sample size (from this point on in this list), but Owens pitched well against good pitchers and good teams. His average slot was 3.5, and he’s probably a #4 or a #5 guy.

7. Justin Masterson. Masterson made 9 starts, and the Red Sox won 4 of those. I didn’t take too many notes on his games and noted that he pitched well after a long DL stint. But I guess the Masterson experiment is over. His average slot was 3.4.

8. Steven Wright. Wright made 9 starts, and the Red Sox won 3 of those. Yet Wright is generally praised for his pitching, which really makes little sense given the team results. His average slot was 3.3, but he should be in the bullpen.

9. Rich Hill. Hill made 4 starts, and the Red Sox won 3 of those. Hill is clearly the feel-good story of the season, coming back to the majors from independent ball and pitching lights out. But can he keep it up? Probably not.

10. Craig Breslow. Breslow made 2 starts, and the Red Sox won 1 of those. It was cool to see a lifelong reliever get a couple of starts. Breslow is a nice guy and raises the team IQ, but that’s probably not enough to see him back in a Red Sox uniform in 2016.

11. Matt Barnes. Barnes made 2 starts, and the Red Sox won neither. Both times, he did not look like a starting pitcher. Work in progress. Probably should be in the bullpen.

12. Brian Johnson. Johnson made 1 start, and the Red Sox lost. I didn’t see the game and have no opinion. Maybe pencil him in as your ace in 2016, since that job is still open.

Rank Game Slot Round Date Record Red Sox Pitcher Opponent W L Notes
1 4 4 1 04/10/15 1-0 Wade Miley New York Yankees 1 0 none
1 9 4 2 04/15/15 1-1 Wade Miley Washington Nationals 0 1 none
1 14 4 3 04/21/15 2-1 Wade Miley Tampa Bay Rays 1 0 none
1 19 4 4 04/26/15 2-2 Wade Miley Baltimore Orioles 0 1 none
1 24 4 5 05/02/15 2-3 Wade Miley New York Yankees 0 1 2015-05-02 – Blake Swihart (C) get first ML hit.
1 29 4 6 05/08/15 2-4 Wade Miley Toronto Blue Jays 0 1 2015-05-08 – David Ortiz (DH) serves 1-game suspension.
1 34 4 7 05/13/15 3-4 Wade Miley Oakland Athletics 1 0 none
1 39 4 8 05/19/15 4-4 Wade Miley Texas Rangers 1 0 none
1 44 4 9 05/24/15 5-4 Wade Miley LA Angels 1 0 none
1 50 5 10 05/30/15 5-5 Wade Miley Texas Rangers 0 1 2015-05-30 – Red Sox made 3 errors and multiple other plays that could have been errors.
1 56 5 11 06/05/15 6-5 Wade Miley Oakland Athletics 1 0 2015-06-05 – Fan injured by broken bat.
1 61 4 12 06/11/15 6-6 Wade Miley Baltimore Orioles 0 1 2015-06-11 – Sox score 5 but still lose 6-5, Miley and Farrell get in shouting match in dugout. Urg.
1 66 4 13 06/16/15 7-6 Wade Miley Atlanta Braves 1 0 2015-06-16 – Brock Holt hits for the cycle! Sox win 9-4 and crank out 18 hits.
1 71 4 14 06/21/15 8-6 Wade Miley Kansas City Royals 1 0 2015-06-21 – Miley is your ace, 13-2 Father’s Day thumping.
1 76 4 15 06/27/15 8-7 Wade Miley Tampa Bay Rays 0 1 2015-06-27 – A forgettable loss. Sox have alternated wins and losses for the last 8 games.
1 81 4 16 07/02/15 9-7 Wade Miley Toronto Blue Jays 1 0 2015-07-02 – 12-6 victory, 3rd winning round in a row through the rotation.
1 85 3 17 07/07/15 10-7 Wade Miley Miami Marlins 1 0 2015-07-07 – Rebecca attends game, Sox win!
1 89 3 18 07/12/15 10-8 Wade Miley New York Yankees 0 1 2015-07-12 – Red Sox sputter into All-Star break with 8-6 loss.
1 90 1 19 07/17/15 10-9 Wade Miley LA Angels 0 1 2015-07-17 – Erik (and Don Orsillo) on vacation, Red Sox lose.
1 96 1 20 07/23/15 10-10 Wade Miley Houston Astros 0 1 2015-07-23 – Erik (and Don Orsillo) on vacation, Red Sox lose.
1 101 1 21 07/28/15 10-11 Wade Miley Chicago White Sox 0 1 2015-07-28 – Pedro #45 retired. Mookie caches a ball that is ruled a fumble (rule needs to change) AND gets injured. AND Sox lose.
1 106 1 22 08/02/15 10-12 Wade Miley Tampa Bay Rays 0 1 2015-08-02 – Bullpen blows lead late, Sox lose. Porcello put on DL (biceps).
1 111 1 23 08/08/15 10-13 Wade Miley Detroit Tigers 0 1 2015-08-08 – Offense does it job but pitching can’t hold multiple leads, Sox lose 7-6.
1 116 1 24 08/15/15 11-13 Wade Miley Seattle Mariners 1 0 2015-08-15 – In historic series, Red Sox crush Mariner 22-10, JBJ hits 2 homers and gets 7 RBIs.
1 121 1 25 08/20/15 12-13 Wade Miley Kansas City Royals 1 0 2015-08-21 – Wade Miley dealing with the porn-stash, Sox win against the future World Series champs.
1 126 1 26 08/25/15 12-14 Wade Miley Chicago White Sox 0 1 2015-08-25 – Don Orsillo fired as NESN play-by-play announcer. #WTF Also, Hanley moving to 1B, and the Red Sox lose.
1 130 1 27 08/30/15 12-15 Wade Miley New York Mets 0 1 2015-08-30 – Sox lose back-and-forth game 5-4.
1 135 1 28 09/05/15 13-15 Wade Miley Philadelphia Phillies 1 0 2014-09-05 – Sox feast on lowly Phillies, Papi hits 496, Miley pitches complete game.
1 140 1 29 09/11/15 13-16 Wade Miley Tampa Bay Rays 0 1 2015-09-11 – Back-and-forth game sees Red Sox bullpen implode, Sox lose 8-4.
1 147 2 30 09/19/15 14-16 Wade Miley Toronto Blue Jays 1 0 2015-09-19 – JBJ his 2-run bomb in bottom of the 9th, Sox score 5 in the inning, hold on to win 7-6, the first time in 66 games that they have won after trailing in the 9th.
1 152 2 31 09/24/15 14-17 Wade Miley Tampa Bay Rays 0 1 2015-09-24 – Miley good the first two times through the lineup, Rays figured him out the third time. Hazen promoted to GM.
1 158 2 32 09/30/15 15-17 Wade Miley New York Yankees 1 0 2015-09-30 – Mookie hits two homers, Sox win 9-5 in 11 innings, extend winning streak to 6 games.
1 2.8 15-17 Wade Miley 32 starts
2 2 2 1 04/08/15 0-1 Rick Porcello Philadelphia Phillies 0 1 none
2 7 2 2 04/13/15 1-1 Rick Porcello Washington Nationals 1 0 2015-04-13 – Mookie Betts (CF) homers, steals 2 bases, robs HR.
2 12 2 3 04/19/15 1-2 Rick Porcello Baltimore Orioles 0 1 none
2 17 2 4 04/24/15 2-2 Rick Porcello Baltimore Orioles 1 0 none
2 22 2 5 04/29/15 3-2 Rick Porcello Toronto Blue Jays 1 0 2014-04-29 – Hanley Ramirez (LF) hits 10th HR.
2 27 2 6 05/05/15 4-2 Rick Porcello Tampa Bay Rays 1 0 2015-05-05 – Mookie Betts (CF) homers twice.
2 32 2 7 05/11/15 5-2 Rick Porcello Oakland Athletics 1 0 2015-05-12 – First time Red Sox 1-2 starters have won consecutive games.
2 37 2 8 05/16/15 6-2 Rick Porcello Seattle Mariners 1 0 none
2 42 2 9 05/22/15 6-3 Rick Porcello LA Angels 0 1 2015-05-23 – Red Sox crushed 12-5.
2 47 2 10 05/27/15 6-4 Rick Porcello Minnesota Twins 0 1 none
2 54 3 11 06/03/15 6-5 Rick Porcello Minnesota Twins 0 1 2015-06-03 – Split the double-header. One step forward, one step back.
2 60 3 12 06/10/15 6-6 Rick Porcello Baltimore Orioles 0 1 2015-06-10 – Answer: Because Porcello keeps on losing.
2 65 3 13 06/15/15 13-15 Rick Porcello Atlanta Braves 0 1 2015-06-15 – Gordon Edes writes funny non-negative review of 4-2 loss.
2 70 3 14 06/20/15 6-7 Rick Porcello Kansas City Royals 0 1 2015-06-20 – Porcello keeps losing.
2 75 3 15 06/26/15 7-7 Rick Porcello Tampa Bay Rays 1 0 2015-06-26 – Porcello give up 3 runs through 6 innings (and multiple leads), gets a ND, but the team wins.
2 80 3 16 07/01/15 7-8 Rick Porcello Toronto Blue Jays 0 1 2015-07-01 – Porcello gets shelled, Sox lose 11-2.
2 86 4 17 07/08/15 8-8 Rick Porcello Miami Marlins 1 0 2015-07-08 – Joe Lesses attends game, Sox win, first 4-game winning streak of the season!
2 91 2 19 07/18/15 8-9 Rick Porcello LA Angels 0 1 2015-07-18 – Erik (and Don Orsillo) on vacation, Red Sox lose.
2 97 2 20 07/24/15 9-9 Rick Porcello Detroit Tigers 1 0 2015-07-24 – Erik (and Don Orsillo) on vacation, Red Sox walk-off win in 11.
2 102 2 21 07/29/15 9-10 Rick Porcello Chicago White Sox 0 1 2015-07-29 – Fat Man Pablo gets thrown out at the plate (with the Sox down 6-0) and then leaves the game due to dehydration.
2 127 2 26 08/26/15 10-10 Rick Porcello Chicago White Sox 1 0 2015-08-26 – Travis Shaw un-ties a 0-0 pitching duel with a 2-run homer. Porcello, fresh off the DL, pitches his best game of the season.
2 132 3 27 09/01/15 10-11 Rick Porcello New York Yankees 0 1 2013-09-01 – Porcello strikes out 13 but Sox lose 3-1.
2 137 3 28 09/07/15 11-11 Rick Porcello Toronto Blue Jays 1 0 2015-09-07 – A hot Labor Day day game sees JBJ get 4 hits as sox crush Jays 11-4.
2 141 2 29 09/12/15 12-11 Rick Porcello Tampa Bay Rays 1 0 2015-09-12 – Big Papi hits #499 and #500, Sox roll 10-4.
2 146 1 30 09/18/15 12-12 Rick Porcello Toronto Blue Jays 0 1 2015-09-18 – Porcello not sharp, Sox lose 6-1. One of the few games I completely missed (MCats).
2 151 1 31 09/23/15 12-13 Rick Porcello Tampa Bay Rays 0 1 2015-09-23 – In a near clone of yesterday’s game, Sox offense mostly silent, pitching mostly just OK, Sox lose 6-2.
2 157 1 32 09/29/15 13-13 Rick Porcello New York Yankees 1 0 2015-09-29 – Porcello gives up 4 in the 1st, settles down to get the win, the first time the Sox have won 5 in a row all season.
2 162 6 33 10/04/15 13-14 Rick Porcello Cleveland Indians 0 1 2015-10-04 – Don Orsillo says, “Orsillo, rounding third and heading home.”
2 2.4 13-15 Rick Porcello 28 starts
3 5 5 1 04/11/15 1-0 Joe Kelly New York Yankees 1 0 2015-04-11 – Red Sox defeat Yankees in 19 innings.
3 10 5 2 04/17/15 2-0 Joe Kelly Baltimore Orioles 1 0 none
3 15 5 3 04/22/15 2-1 Joe Kelly Tampa Bay Rays 0 1 none
3 20 5 4 04/27/15 3-1 Joe Kelly Toronto Blue Jays 1 0 none
3 25 5 5 05/03/15 3-2 Joe Kelly New York Yankees 0 1 none
3 30 5 6 05/09/15 3-3 Joe Kelly Toronto Blue Jays 0 1 none
3 35 5 7 05/14/15 4-3 Joe Kelly Seattle Mariners 1 0 2015-05-14 – Justin Masterson (P) placed on DL.
3 40 5 8 05/20/15 4-4 Joe Kelly Texas Rangers 0 1 none
3 45 5 9 05/25/15 4-5 Joe Kelly Minnesota Twins 0 1 none
3 51 6 10 05/31/15 4-6 Joe Kelly Texas Rangers 0 1 none
3 57 6 11 06/06/15 5-6 Joe Kelly Oakland Athletics 1 0 none
3 62 5 12 06/12/15 5-7 Joe Kelly Toronto Blue Jays 0 1 2015-06-12 – The latest worst loss of the season. Sox blow an 8-1 lead, give up a 9-run inning, lose 13-10.
3 67 5 13 06/17/15 5-8 Joe Kelly Atlanta Braves 0 1 2015-06-17 – Red Sox resume normal lineup, resume losing.
3 72 5 14 06/23/15 5-9 Joe Kelly Baltimore Orioles 0 1 2015-06-23 – Erik and Mark celebrate Mark’s 51st birthday! Joe Kelly gives up 6, lasts 3+ innings, Sox lose 6-4.
3 95 6 20 07/22/15 5-10 Joe Kelly Houston Astros 0 1 2015-07-22 – Erik (and Don Orsillo) on vacation, Red Sox lose.
3 100 5 20 07/27/15 5-11 Joe Kelly Chicago White Sox 0 1 2015-07-28 – Kelly gives up back-to-back triples to start the game, Sox lose slugfest 10-8.
3 105 5 21 08/01/15 6-11 Joe Kelly Tampa Bay Rays 1 0 2015-08-01 – Shaw homers twice, Sox win slugfest 11-7.
3 110 5 22 08/07/15 7-11 Joe Kelly Detroit Tigers 1 0 2015-08-07 – Tiger fight with themselves in dugout, Papi homers, Koji hurts hand, Sox win. On 8/10, Uehara ends up on DL with broken wrist.
3 115 5 23 08/14/15 8-11 Joe Kelly Seattle Mariners 1 0 2015-08-14 – In response to the news that John Farrell has cancer, the Red Sox crush the Mariners 15-1.
3 120 5 24 08/19/15 9-11 Joe Kelly Cleveland Indians 1 0 2015-08-20 – Sox win 6-4 behind a pair of back-to-back home runs. Plus they won the rotation.
3 125 5 25 08/24/15 10-11 Joe Kelly Chicago White Sox 1 0 2015-08-24 – Rusney carried the team with 5 RBIs and 3 hits, Sox win 5-4.
3 129 4 26 08/29/15 11-11 Joe Kelly New York Mets 1 0 2015-08-29 – Sox get just enough offense to beat Mets ace deGrom. Erod rested as Sox do one round with a 4-man rotation.
3 134 5 27 09/04/15 12-11 Joe Kelly Philadelphia Phillies 1 0 2015-09-04 – Joe Kelley (although not the Cy Young) becomes the first MLB pitcher to win 7 straight this season.
3 139 5 28 09/09/15 13-11 Joe Kelly Toronto Blue Jays 1 0 2015-09-09 – Kelly gets 8th straight win, Papi hits #498, Sox roll 10-4.
3 144 5 29 09/15/15 13-12 Joe Kelly Baltimore Orioles 0 1 2015-09-15 – Kelley’s win streak ends at 8 as he leaves with a shoulder injury in the 3rd. Sox lose 6-5 in 13. Tazawa shut down for rest of season.
3 5.1 13-12 Joe Kelly 25 starts
4 48 3 10 05/28/15 1-0 Eduardo Rodriguez Texas Rangers 1 0 2015-05-28 – First ML start for Eduardo Rodriguez (P).
4 53 2 11 06/03/15 2-0 Eduardo Rodriguez Minnesota Twins 1 0 2015-06-03 – Makeup of 6/1 rainout. The emergence of E-Rod!
4 59 2 12 06/09/15 2-1 Eduardo Rodriguez Baltimore Orioles 0 1 2015-06-09 – Question: Why did the Red Sox demote their winningest pitcher to the #3 slot? Sox lose 1-0 on a stupid wild pitch.
4 64 2 13 06/14/15 2-2 Eduardo Rodriguez Toronto Blue Jays 0 1 2015-06-14 – Erod is mortal, suck train continues, 13-5 loss.
4 69 2 14 06/19/15 3-2 Eduardo Rodriguez Kansas City Royals 1 0 2015-06-19 – Good bounce-back start for Erod.
4 74 2 15 06/25/15 3-3 Eduardo Rodriguez Baltimore Orioles 0 1 2015-06-25 – Big 6-run inning sinks Erod, Kelly sent to minors.
4 79 2 16 06/30/15 4-3 Eduardo Rodriguez Toronto Blue Jays 1 0 2015-06-30 – Erod stops tipping his pitches, goes 6, gets W.
4 84 2 17 07/05/15 5-3 Eduardo Rodriguez Houston Astros 1 0 2015-07-05 – Ramirez hits one-handed game-winning homer.
4 88 2 18 07/11/15 6-3 Eduardo Rodriguez New York Yankees 1 0 2015-07-11 – Erod pitches 6.2 strong, Ramirez 2-run homer, Sox win 5-3.
4 92 3 19 07/20/15 6-4 Eduardo Rodriguez LA Angels 0 1 2015-07-20 – Erik (and Don Orsillo) on vacation, Red Sox lose.
4 99 4 20 07/26/15 7-4 Eduardo Rodriguez Detroit Tigers 1 0 2015-07-27 – Pedro to HOF. Big Papi hits career-high 7 RBIs, Sox win 11-1.
4 104 4 21 07/31/15 8-4 Eduardo Rodriguez Tampa Bay Rays 1 0 2015-07-31 – Napoli homers late, Sox win.
4 109 4 22 08/06/15 8-5 Eduardo Rodriguez New York Yankees 0 1 2015-08-06 – A well played game on both sides, but the Red Sox come up a bit short, lose 2-1.
4 114 4 23 08/12/15 8-6 Eduardo Rodriguez Miami Marlins 0 1 2015-08-12 – Big Papi hits HR numbers 490 and 491, but Sox give up 10 in the 6th, lose 14-6.
4 119 4 24 08/18/15 9-6 Eduardo Rodriguez Cleveland Indians 1 0 2015-08-18 – Erik and Rebecca attend Red Sox game, who win 9-1 behind Erod. During the game, Red Sox hire Dave Dombrowski as president of baseball operations. Ben Cherington declines to continue as GM, thus ending his tenure in Boston.
4 124 4 25 08/23/15 9-7 Eduardo Rodriguez Kansas City Royals 0 1 2015-08-23 – Erod (who pitches way better at night) pitches poorly during day game. In sloppy rainy game, Sox commit 3 errors, give up 2-run lead in the 9th, lose to Royals 8-6.
4 131 2 27 08/31/15 10-7 Eduardo Rodriguez New York Yankees 1 0 2015-08-31 – Mary at Clocktower’s game. Papi hits HR 495, Sox win 4-3.
4 136 2 28 09/06/15 11-7 Eduardo Rodriguez Philadelphia Phillies 1 0 2015-09-06 – Erod usually does not pitch well during day games. But he did today.
4 143 4 29 09/14/15 11-8 Eduardo Rodriguez Baltimore Orioles 0 1 2015-09-14 – Erod pitches well but Sox offense can’t score, Sox lose 2-0. Also, stadium nearly empty.
4 149 4 30 09/21/15 12-8 Eduardo Rodriguez Tampa Bay Rays 1 0 2015-09-21 – Xander hit a grand slam, Sox climb out of last place, beat Rays 8-7.
4 156 6 31 09/28/15 13-8 Eduardo Rodriguez New York Yankees 1 0 2015-09-28 – Erod pitches well in his final game of the season, Deven Marrero hits his first ML home run, Sox win 5-1.
4 3.0 13-8 Eduardo Rodriguez 21 starts
5 1 1 1 04/06/15 1-0 Clay Buchholz Philadelphia Phillies 1 0 2015-04-06 – Clay Buchholz (P) wins on opening day.
5 6 1 2 04/12/15 1-1 Clay Buchholz New York Yankees 0 1 none
5 11 1 3 04/18/15 1-2 Clay Buchholz Baltimore Orioles 0 1 none
5 16 1 4 04/23/15 1-3 Clay Buchholz Tampa Bay Rays 0 1 none
5 21 1 5 04/28/15 1-4 Clay Buchholz Toronto Blue Jays 0 1 none
5 26 1 6 05/04/15 1-5 Clay Buchholz Tampa Bay Rays 0 1 2015-05-04 – Hanley Ramirez (LF) injures left shoulder.
5 31 1 7 05/10/15 2-5 Clay Buchholz Toronto Blue Jays 1 0 2015-05-11 – Clay Buchholz (P) wins on Mother’s Day, his first win since opening day.
5 36 1 8 05/15/15 2-6 Clay Buchholz Seattle Mariners 0 1 none
5 41 1 9 05/21/15 2-7 Clay Buchholz Texas Rangers 0 1 none
5 46 1 10 05/26/15 2-8 Clay Buchholz Minnesota Twins 0 1 2015-05-26 – Rain delay.
5 52 1 11 06/02/15 3-8 Clay Buchholz Minnesota Twins 1 0 2015-06-02 – John Henry (owner) speaks about being disappointed, Sox win first 1-0 game of the year.
5 58 1 12 06/07/15 4-8 Clay Buchholz Oakland Athletics 1 0 2015-06-07 – Sox score 7 in the 8th, sweep the As. Best win of the year.
5 63 1 13 06/13/15 4-9 Clay Buchholz Toronto Blue Jays 0 1 2015-06-13 – Papi ties it 4-4 with a HR in the 6th, Toronto wins it with a HR in the 11th.
5 68 1 14 06/18/15 5-9 Clay Buchholz Atlanta Braves 1 0 2015-06-18 – Clay also had a good 10-pitch at-bat.
5 73 1 15 06/24/15 6-9 Clay Buchholz Baltimore Orioles 1 0 2015-06-25 – Sox win but Ramirez (hand) and Pedroia (hamstring) injured.
5 78 1 16 06/29/15 7-9 Clay Buchholz Toronto Blue Jays 1 0 2015-06-29 – Binary streak ends at 9, Clay solid through 8.
5 83 1 17 07/04/15 8-9 Clay Buchholz Houston Astros 1 0 2014-07-04 – Clay pitches a complete-game gem on July 4th, first complete game of the year for the Red Sox, who win 6-1.
5 87 1 18 07/10/15 8-10 Clay Buchholz New York Yankees 0 1 2015-07-10 – Red Sox lose game (4-1), momentum, Clay Buchholz (elbow tightness), and the season.
5 1.0 8-10 Clay Buchholz 18 starts
6 107 2 22 08/04/15 0-1 Henry Owens New York Yankees 0 1 2015-08-04 – Owens makes MLB debut. Pitches well enough to win but bullpen give it up again. Sox crushed 13-3. MLB writers now resorting to “clever” headlines (such as “Beleaguered Boston bullpen battered” http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/bos/beleaguered-boston-bullpen-battered?ymd=20150805&content_id=141256762&vkey=news_bos).
6 112 2 23 08/09/15 1-1 Henry Owens Detroit Tigers 1 0 2015-08-09 – JBJ makes nice over-the-shoulder catch, gets 5 RBIs, Sox win. Owens gets first career W.
6 117 2 24 08/16/15 1-2 Henry Owens Seattle Mariners 0 1 2015-08-16 – Sox erase 7-0 deficit, then lose 10-8 in 12 innings.
6 122 2 25 08/21/15 2-2 Henry Owens Kansas City Royals 1 0 2015-08-22 – Owens out-duels Ace Cueto as Sox cruise 7-2 for 4th straight win, tying a season high.
6 128 3 26 08/28/15 3-2 Henry Owens New York Mets 1 0 2015-08-28 – Catcher Swihart hits inside-the-park homer in 10th, Sox hold on for 6-4 win.
6 133 4 27 09/02/15 3-3 Henry Owens New York Yankees 0 1 2015-09-02 – Sox pitchers throw a series of straight balls, which Yankee hitters deposit into stands for home runs. Sox lose 13-8.
6 138 4 28 09/08/15 3-4 Henry Owens Toronto Blue Jays 0 1 2015-09-08 – Owens not quite good enough, bullpen not quite good enough, Sox fall in extras.
6 145 6 29 09/16/15 4-4 Henry Owens Baltimore Orioles 1 0 2015-09-16 – Owens sharp, Sox cruise 10-1.
6 150 5 30 09/22/15 4-5 Henry Owens Tampa Bay Rays 0 1 2015-09-22 – Owens strong through 7, gives up home run in 8th to seal the loss.
6 155 5 31 09/27/15 5-5 Henry Owens Baltimore Orioles 1 0 2015-09-27 – Owens pitches like an ace, Sox cruise for third shutout in a row for final Fenway game of season.
6 160 4 32 10/02/15 5-6 Henry Owens Cleveland Indians 0 1 2015-10-02 – Owens struggles, Papi homers, as Sox stumble to finish line.
6 3.5 5-6 Henry Owens 11 starts
7 3 3 1 04/09/15 1-0 Justin Masterson Philadelphia Phillies 1 0 none
7 8 3 2 04/14/15 2-0 Justin Masterson Washington Nationals 1 0 none
7 13 3 3 04/20/15 3-0 Justin Masterson Baltimore Orioles 1 0 none
7 18 3 4 04/25/15 3-1 Justin Masterson Baltimore Orioles 0 1 2015-04-25 – Shane Victorino (RF) placed on DL.
7 23 3 5 05/01/15 3-2 Justin Masterson New York Yankees 0 1 2015-05-01 – Ryan Hanigan (C) breaks right hand.
7 28 3 6 05/06/15 3-3 Justin Masterson Tampa Bay Rays 0 1 2015-05-07 – Red Sox fire pitching coach Juan Nieves.
7 33 3 7 05/12/15 3-4 Justin Masterson Oakland Athletics 0 1 2015-05-13 – Shane Victorino (RF) returns from DL.
7 77 5 15 06/28/15 4-4 Justin Masterson Tampa Bay Rays 1 0 2015-06-29 – Masterson solid in return to rotation.
7 82 5 16 07/03/15 4-5 Justin Masterson Houston Astros 0 1 2015-07-03 – Sloppy baseball, rollercoaster game, 12-8 loss.
7 3.4 4-5 Justin Masterson 9 starts
8 38 3 8 05/17/15 0-1 Steven Wright Seattle Mariners 0 1 2015-05-17 – Steven Wright gets the start.
8 43 3 9 05/23/15 1-1 Steven Wright LA Angels 1 0 2015-04-24 – Steven Wright gets his first ML win.
8 49 4 10 05/29/15 1-2 Steven Wright Texas Rangers 0 1 none
8 55 4 11 06/04/15 1-3 Steven Wright Minnesota Twins 0 1 2015-06-04 – Red Sox blow 4-0 lead.
8 93 4 19 07/20/15 1-4 Steven Wright LA Angels 0 1 2015-07-20 – Erik (and Don Orsillo) on vacation, Red Sox lose.
8 98 3 20 07/25/15 1-5 Steven Wright Detroit Tigers 0 1 2015-07-25 – Erik (and Don Orsillo) on vacation, Red Sox lose.
8 103 3 21 07/30/15 2-5 Steven Wright Chicago White Sox 1 0 2015-07-30 – Wright mixes is some fastballs with the knuckleball, Sox finally get win #45, 2 days after retiring #45.
8 108 3 22 08/05/15 3-5 Steven Wright New York Yankees 1 0 2015-08-05 – Steven Wright pitches 9 innings, strikes out 8, both career highs. Red Sox win 2-1.
8 113 3 23 08/11/15 3-6 Steven Wright Miami Marlins 0 1 2015-08-11 – Sox lose to last place team in extra innings.
8 3.3 3-6 Steven Wright 9 starts
9 142 3 29 09/13/15 1-0 Rich Hill Tampa Bay Rays 1 0 2015-09-13 – Rich Hill starts first game since 2009, strikes out 10, pitches 7+, Sox in 2-1 in 13.
9 148 3 30 09/20/15 2-0 Rich Hill Toronto Blue Jays 1 0 2015-09-20 – Rich Hill strikes out 10 again, Sox win again.
9 153 3 31 09/25/15 3-0 Rich Hill Baltimore Orioles 1 0 2015-09-25 – Rich Hill dazzles, double slide by Pedroia and Xander, catch of the year by Mookie. Sox win 7-0.
9 159 3 32 10/01/15 3-1 Rich Hill New York Yankees 0 1 2015-10-01 – Stupid Yankees clinch stupid wild card playoff spot and win stupid 10,000th game at stupid Yankee Stadium. At least it was raining.
9 3.0 3-1 Rich Hill 4 starts
10 154 4 31 09/26/15 1-0 Craig Breslow Baltimore Orioles 1 0 2015-09-26 – Craig Breslow get’s first career start in 500+ appearances, goes a careen long 4 innings, give up zero runs, Sox cruise 8-0.
10 161 5 32 10/03/15 1-1 Craig Breslow Cleveland Indians 0 1 2015-10-03 – Breslow pitches 5.1 innings of 2-run ball in his second career start, but get zero offense. Sox lose 2-0.
10 4.5 1-1 Craig Breslow 2 starts
11 118 3 24 08/17/15 0-1 Matt Barnes Cleveland Indians 0 1 2015-08-17 – Matt Barnes gets first start, good first time through lineup, not so much second time. Sox lose 8-2.
11 123 3 25 08/22/15 0-2 Matt Barnes Kansas City Royals 0 1 2015-08-22 – Matt Barnes is still not a starter, Sox lose 6-3.
11 3.0 0-2 Matt Barnes 2 starts
12 94 5 19 07/21/15 0-1 Brian Johnson Houston Astros 0 1 2015-07-21 – Erik (and Don Orsillo) on vacation, Red Sox lose.
12 5.0 0-1 Brian Johnson 1 start

The 40-Man Roster

On 08/22/15, before the trading deadline, I opined on my Facebook account about the Red Sox 40-man roster. At that point, here’s who I thought the Sox should keep or trade:

PITCHERS
KEEP Jonathan Aro
KEEP Matt Barnes
KEEP* Ryan Cook
KEEP Edwin Escobar
KEEP Heath Hembree
KEEP Brian Johnson
KEEP Tommy Layne
KEEP* Jean Machi
KEEP Wade Miley
KEEP Henry Owens
KEEP Noe Ramirez
KEEP Eduardo Rodriguez
KEEP Robbie Ross Jr.
KEEP Junichi Tazawa
KEEP Anthony Varvaro
KEEP Steven Wright

TRADE* Craig Breslow
TRADE Clay Buchholz
TRADE Joe Kelly
TRADE* Alexi Ogando
TRADE Rick Porcello
TRADE Koji Uehara
TRADE Brandon Workman

CATCHERS
KEEP Ryan Hanigan
KEEP Blake Swihart
KEEP Christian Vazquez

INFIELDERS
KEEP Xander Bogaerts
KEEP Garin Cecchini
KEEP Sean Coyle
KEEP Deven Marrero
KEEP Josh Rutledge
KEEP Travis Shaw

TRADE Brock Holt
TRADE Dustin Pedroia
TRADE Pablo Sandoval

OUTFIELDERS
KEEP Mookie Betts
KEEP Bryce Brentz
KEEP Rusney Castillo

TRADE Jackie Bradley Jr.
TRADE* Alejandro De Aza
TRADE Hanley Ramirez

DESIGNATED HITTER
KEEP David Ortiz

Would I change my opinion on any of the above now that the season is over? I think not. Perhaps most shocking is the idea of trading both Dustin Pedroia and Jackie Bradley Jr. I believe Pedroia is declining and should be traded while his value is still high. As for JBJ, I love his defense, but he’s older than the other kids, hits inconsistently, and is also in a “sell high” mode, I believe.

*Since 08/22/15, there have been several changes to the 40-man roster, including:On 08/31/15 (trading deadline), Alejandro De Aza was traded to the San Francisco Giants with cash considerations for minor league pitcher Luis Ysla.

  • On 11/06/15, Ryan Cook was claimed off of waivers by the Chicago Cubs.
  • On 11/06/16, Jean Machi became a free agent.
  • On 11/06/15, Craig Breslow became a free agent.
  • On 11/06/15, Rich Hill became a free agent (not on the 40-man roster as of 08/22/15).
  • On 11/06/15, Alexi Ogando became a free agent.

The Future

The 2015 season, overall, was a fun one. The kids finished the 2015 season strong. We learned not only that the kids can play but also that Torey Lovullo can manage. I think that cancer-survivor John Farrell should be given three things in 2016: a warm welcome back to Fenway, a very short leash, and an ace.

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Erik claims to publish the #1 blog about technology, law, baseball, and rock ‘n’ roll at erikjheels.com. Brevity is not his strong suit.

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