Latest news with #RichardFitts
CBS News
2 days ago
- General
- CBS News
The Red Sox need a lot more out of their starting pitchers
The Boston Red Sox have a slew of issues as the team sits at 29-33 two-and-a-half months into the 2025 MLB season. But chief among them is the lack of production from Boston's starting pitchers. Garrett Crochet is exempt from most of what you're about to read. He's been the workhorse and ace the Red Sox have needed, and the lefty currently leads the Majors with 82 innings pitched. The rest of the rotation, however, is not living up to their end of the bargain, and it's already taxing the Red Sox bullpen. Far too often, manager Alex Cora has had to trot out to the mound to replace his starter well before the fifth inning. We saw this happen a lot over the last few seasons, and the bullpen has been completely gassed by late August. It's seemingly playing out that way again in 2025. Boston's starters acting more like "openers" is one of the biggest reasons a team with playoff aspirations currently sits four games under .500 at the moment. In 28 games in May, Red Sox starters failed to go at least five innings in 14 of them. Boston was just 11-17 last month. Too many short outings for Red Sox starters The Red Sox had to deal with another short start Monday night, when Richard Fitts was lifted after the Los Angeles Angels tagged him for six runs in the first inning. It was the second straight start that Fitts has failed to go more than three innings, though both outings came after he spent time on the IL with a right pectoral strain. He gave Boston six innings twice and five innings in his other three starts this season. Those numbers make Fitts one of the more productive starters for Boston. After Crochet, the bar is extremely low for the Red Sox rotation. Tanner Houck was an All-Star last year and the team had high hopes he would be an incredible No. 2 behind Crochet in 2025. But the 28-year-old has regressed mightily, and has gone less than five innings in four of his nine starts this season. Houck has failed to get out of the third inning twice, including his most recent start when he allowed 11 earned runs over 2.1 innings to the Detroit Tigers. For the season, Houck is 0-3 with an 8.04 ERA and 1.69 WHIP. Team's aren't missing against him, with Houck surrendering 57 hits over his 43.2 innings. He's currently on the IL with an elbow issue. No. 3 starter Brayan Bello went five innings when he made his first start of the year on April 22, and followed it up by going at least six innings in his two starts after. But he's failed to go five in each of his last five starts, giving Boston just 22.1 innings over that stretch. Bello has allowed opponents to score 12 runs off 29 hits and 15 walks over his last five outings, with the Red Sox going 2-3 in those games. Bello, who is 2-1 with a 3.83 ERA on the season, is on the bump for Boston Tuesday night against the Angels. He's looking for his first win in over a month. Veteran Walker Buehler hasn't been great at 4-3 with a 4.55 ERA, and he spent a month on the IL with shoulder inflammation. But he's gone at least five innings in all but two of his nine starts this season. One of those short starts was when Buehler was ejected in the third inning in his first start back against the New York Mets. He hasn't been as good as many hoped, but at least Buehler is logging some innings. On the back end of the rotation, Lucas Giolito has made six starts since his Boston debut on April 30. He has failed to reach the fifth in three of those starts. Over his 32 innings this season, Giolito has allowed 17 runs off 36 hits, including five homers. It's been a mixed bag from the rest of the pack, but that's expected from No. 5 guys or replacement starters. Sean Newcomb went five innings in just one of his five starts for the Red Sox before he moved to the bullpen, and the local kid has since been DFA'd and traded to the Athletics. Hunter Dobbins began his pro career with five straight starts of at least five innings, but then failed to go five in his last two turns in the rotation before he was moved to the bullpen. At least Dobbins was a valuable arm Monday, when he gave the Red Sox five innings of one-run ball out of the bullpen following Fitts' departure. All of that was a big word salad to say Red Sox starters haven't been getting the job done. While they've tossed 324 innings -- the 10th-most in baseball -- the majority of those innings haven't been very good. Boston starters have given up 337 hits (third-most in baseball) and issued 114 walks (tied for the sixth-most), and tout a 4.25 ERA (22nd in MLB) and a 1.39 WHIP (24th) for the season. With Red Sox starters failing to eat innings like they should, the Boston bullpen has had to pick up the slack. Red Sox relievers have already thrown 232.1 innings, which is the fourth-most in MLB. (Interestingly enough, the L.A. Dodgers lead the league with 255 innings from relievers.) Boston relievers have been up and down at times, but they do own the fourth-best ERA in baseball at 3.53. But how long will that continue if Boston starters keep exiting early and Cora has to keep asking his bullpen to do some heavy lifting? Red Sox first inning woes Fitts allowed a run just five pitches into Monday night's game, and the Angels had a 5-0 lead before he recorded his first out. Los Angeles hit three homers off him in the opening frame and led 6-0 before the Red Sox offense got up to bat. While Boston fought back to make it a one-run game twice before ultimately losing 7-6, that first inning was still fresh on Cora's mind after the game as he highlighted the two biggest issues with the team's pitching staff. "It's the first inning and the bottom of the lineup," said Cora. "We have to be better at that. Hopefully tomorrow is the start." The Red Sox have a 6.10 ERA in the first inning this season, which is tied for the 28th-worst with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The only team worse than Boston and Arizona in that department are the 10-win Colorado Rockies and their 9.30 ERA in the first inning. Houck was torched for 11 first-inning runs in his nine starts before landing on the IL, with four of the 17 hits he allowed leaving the yard. Bello has been slightly better with a 4.50 ERA in the first inning over his eight starts, when he's allowed four earned runs off 10 hits and five walks. Buehler has a 4.00 ERA in the first inning over his nine starts. Even Crochet is guilty of some first-inning woes, with a 3.46 ERA in the opening frame over his first 13 starts. He's surrendered 13 hits (including three homers and three doubles) in the first inning this season. Getting behind early is a big deal for these Red Sox. The team fell to 6-16 in one-run games on Monday night, in large part because they're playing catchup most nights. Cora is also right about the bottom of lineups getting to his starters. No. 8 hitters have an .889 OPS against Boston starters this season -- the highest in MLB -- and No. 9 hitters have an OPS of .719, the eight-highest. (H/T to our resident stat nerd Joe Weil.) We're now in June and outside of Crochet spinning it masterfully ever five nights, the Red Sox can't really rely on the rest of their starting pitching. Add in an offense that disappears for stretches, and the team is sitting under .500 and 4.5 games out of a Wild Card spot. You can already forget about the AL East, where Boston sits nine games back of the first-place Yankees. And if Red Sox starters don't start pulling their weight soon and continue to tax the bullpen, the hope of October baseball in Boston could be over before the All-Star break.
NBC Sports
3 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Angels at Red Sox Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for June 2
It's Monday, June 2, and the Angels (26-32) are in Boston to take on the Red Sox (29-32). Tyler Anderson is slated to take the mound for Los Angeles against Richard Fitts for Boston. Yesterday, the Red Sox picked up the win against the Atlanta Braves. It was a game that saw all of the action in the first inning. The Red Sox took a 3-1 lead into the second inning and held on to win 3-1. Garrett Crochet was phenomenal. He struck out 12 batters in 7.0 innings and only gave up one run on five hits. The Angels lost 4-2 yesterday against the Cleveland Guardians. After dropping the series to the Guardians, the Angels have now lost three series in a row. Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We've got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts. Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long. Game details & how to watch Angels at Red Sox Date: Monday, June 2, 2025 Time: 7:10PM EST Site: Fenway Park City: Boston, MA Network/Streaming: NESN, FanDuel Sports Network West Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out. Odds for the Angels at the Red Sox The latest odds as of Monday: Moneyline: Angels (+127), Red Sox (-152) Spread: Red Sox -1.5 Total: 9.0 runs Probable starting pitchers for Angels at Red Sox Pitching matchup for June 2, 2025: Tyler Anderson vs. Richard Fitts Angels: Tyler Anderson, (2-2, 3.39 ERA) Last outing (New York Yankess, 5/27): 6.0 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 3 StrikeoutsRed Sox: Richard Fitts, (0-2, 2.70 ERA) Last outing (Milwaukee Brewers, 5/27): 3.0 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 2 Strikeouts Angels: Tyler Anderson, (2-2, 3.39 ERA) Last outing (New York Yankess, 5/27): 6.0 Innings Pitched, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts Red Sox: Richard Fitts, (0-2, 2.70 ERA) Last outing (Milwaukee Brewers, 5/27): 3.0 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 2 Strikeouts Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type! Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Angels at Red Sox The Angels have lost 4 of their last 5 games Each of the Angels' last 3 road games with the Red Sox have stayed under the Total The total has gone under in 3 of their last 10 Red Sox games The total has gone under in 3 of their last 10 Angels games If you're looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports! Expert picks & predictions for tonight's game between the Angels and the Red Sox Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts. Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager. Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Monday's game between the Angels and the Red Sox: Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Boston Red Sox on the Moneyline. Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Los Angeles Angels at +1.5. Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the under on the Game Total of 9.0. Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Game 62: Angels at Red Sox lineups and notes
It's a short homestand for the Sox, who will have Thursday off before facing the Yankees in a three-game series in New York beginning Friday. Advertisement Richard Fitts will get the nod for the Sox in Monday's opener. The Angels will counter with 35-year-old lefty Tyler Anderson. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Here is a preview. Lineups ANGELS (26-32): TBA Pitching: LHP Tyler Anderson (2-2, 3.39 ERA) RED SOX (29-32): TBA Pitching: RHP Richard Fitts (0-2, 2.70 ERA) Time: 7:10 p.m. TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7 Angels vs. Fitts: Has not faced any LA Angels batters Red Sox vs. Anderson: Rafael Devers 3-7, Jarren Duran 0-4, Nate Eaton 0-5, David Hamilton 0-2, Ceddanne Rafaela 0-2, Rob Refsnyder 3-5, Trevor Story 2-4, Abraham Toro 0-3, Connor Wong 2-6 Stat of the day: Devers led MLB with 33 RBI in May, becoming the sixth player in franchise history to record at least 30 RBI and a .465 OBP or better in a calendar month. Advertisement Notes: Fitts is making his fifth start this season and the first of his career against the Angels. … Devers slashed .356/.468/.606/1.074 in 28 games in May with 14 runs scored, five doubles, and seven home runs. … Abraham Toro has held on to his spot in the lineup at first base after going 6-for-11 in the series in Atlanta. … Jarren Duran is hitless in his last 16 at-bats, dropping his OPS to .718. … Mike Trout is back in the lineup for the Angels. The three-time MVP missed almost a full month with a bone bruise on his left knee. … Anderson is 1-1 with a 5.30 career ERA. He has not won since April 18, but pitched well his last time out, allowing just two runs (one earned) in six innings in a loss to the Yankees last Tuesday. Material from Field Level Media was used in this report. Follow Andrew Mahoney
Associated Press
3 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Red Sox open 3-game series at home against the Angels
Los Angeles Angels (26-32, fourth in the AL West) vs. Boston Red Sox (29-32, fourth in the AL East) Boston; Monday, 7:10 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Angels: Tyler Anderson (2-2, 3.39 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 46 strikeouts); Red Sox: Richard Fitts (0-2, 2.70 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 15 strikeouts) BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Red Sox -152, Angels +127; over/under is 9 1/2 runs BOTTOM LINE: The Boston Red Sox host the Los Angeles Angels on Monday to start a three-game series. Boston is 16-14 at home and 29-32 overall. The Red Sox have a 22-9 record in games when they record at least eight hits. Los Angeles has a 26-32 record overall and a 16-17 record in road games. The Angels have the fifth-ranked team slugging percentage in the AL at .402. Monday's game is the first time these teams meet this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Taylor Ward leads the Angels with 16 home runs while slugging .493. Jorge Soler is 10 for 39 with two doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Red Sox: 4-6, .246 batting average, 3.33 ERA, outscored opponents by five runs Angels: 3-7, .223 batting average, 3.78 ERA, outscored by six runs INJURIES: Red Sox: Justin Slaten: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Liam Hendriks: 15-Day IL (hip), Alex Bregman: 10-Day IL (quadricep), Triston Casas: 60-Day IL (knee), Masataka Yoshida: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Kutter Crawford: 60-Day IL (knee), Tanner Houck: 15-Day IL (flexor), Romy Gonzalez: 10-Day IL (back), Chris Murphy: 60-Day IL (elbow), Patrick Sandoval: 60-Day IL (elbow) Angels: Robert Stephenson: day-to-day (biceps), Jose Fermin: 15-Day IL (elbow), Ben Joyce: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Gustavo Campero: 10-Day IL (ankle), Garrett McDaniels: 15-Day IL (biceps), Anthony Rendon: 60-Day IL (hip) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Red Sox open 3-game series at home against the Angels
Los Angeles Angels (26-32, fourth in the AL West) vs. Boston Red Sox (29-32, fourth in the AL East) Boston; Monday, 7:10 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Angels: Tyler Anderson (2-2, 3.39 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 46 strikeouts); Red Sox: Richard Fitts (0-2, 2.70 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 15 strikeouts) Advertisement BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Red Sox -152, Angels +127; over/under is 9 1/2 runs BOTTOM LINE: The Boston Red Sox host the Los Angeles Angels on Monday to start a three-game series. Boston is 16-14 at home and 29-32 overall. The Red Sox have a 22-9 record in games when they record at least eight hits. Los Angeles has a 26-32 record overall and a 16-17 record in road games. The Angels have the fifth-ranked team slugging percentage in the AL at .402. Monday's game is the first time these teams meet this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Taylor Ward leads the Angels with 16 home runs while slugging .493. Jorge Soler is 10 for 39 with two doubles, two home runs and seven RBIs over the past 10 games. Advertisement LAST 10 GAMES: Red Sox: 4-6, .246 batting average, 3.33 ERA, outscored opponents by five runs Angels: 3-7, .223 batting average, 3.78 ERA, outscored by six runs INJURIES: Red Sox: Justin Slaten: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Liam Hendriks: 15-Day IL (hip), Alex Bregman: 10-Day IL (quadricep), Triston Casas: 60-Day IL (knee), Masataka Yoshida: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Kutter Crawford: 60-Day IL (knee), Tanner Houck: 15-Day IL (flexor), Romy Gonzalez: 10-Day IL (back), Chris Murphy: 60-Day IL (elbow), Patrick Sandoval: 60-Day IL (elbow) Angels: Robert Stephenson: day-to-day (biceps), Jose Fermin: 15-Day IL (elbow), Ben Joyce: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Gustavo Campero: 10-Day IL (ankle), Garrett McDaniels: 15-Day IL (biceps), Anthony Rendon: 60-Day IL (hip) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
