Do You Trust Drew Pomeranz?

If the Red Sox started the playoffs today, the number one starter would be Chris Sale. But what about the number two starter?

Last year Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello?

Not a chance.

Pretty Ricky is looking more like the 2015 Rick Porcello with an ERA of 4.60 than last year’s pitcher.

David Price?

This is the most likely choice. But Price has been inconsistent so far this season, and everyone knows about his lack of postseason success.

The pitcher who has been arguably the second best pitcher for the Red Sox this year is Drew Pomeranz. This season, Pomeranz is 9-4 with a 3.75 ERA.

Pomeranz came into the season as a middle reliever and as a backup option as a starter. He had more success last season for the Red Sox in the bullpen, and that is how everyone assumed he would be utilized this season.

But as things normally go with starting pitchers, a few of them got hurt (Price, Stephen Wright, Eduardo Rodriguez), and that created a spot for Pomeranz.

Pomeranz did not start the year particularly well. The first couple of months, he had an ERA above four, and he had a couple of very bad starts.   

On one particular occasion, Pomeranz did not hustle after a ball hit near the mound during the game.

After that game, Pomeranz got berated by the media and the fans. The fans and media members called him a “bum” and it was the main topic on sport radio shows such as Felger and Mazz.

But to Pomeranz’s credit, he showed some mental toughness and bounced back.

Last two months, Pomeranz went 4-1 with a 3.20 ERA.

The Red Sox decided to pitch Pomeranz the first game back from the all-star break on Friday night against the Yankees.

The Red Sox ended up winning the game 5-4 on a walk-off walk drawn by Andrew Benintendi in exciting fashion.

Even though it was a fun game to watch, this was a game the Red Sox should have won before that point.

Pomeranz was dealing through the first four innings. But in the fifth, he gave up three runs, including a two-run homer to Gary Sanchez. The problem with the home run pitch was the approach by Pomeranz and the Red Sox.

All game long Pomeranz was attempting to throw fastballs inside. This has always been a philosophy of the Red Sox all the way back to Jon Lester.

The problem with pitching inside is that if you do not throw it inside enough and miss in the strike zone, and you do not have overpowering stuff, you are going to get hit hard.

Yes, Pomeranz made a mistake with an inside fastball that went down the middle and was hit for a home run. But that was not the only mistake he made during the game. It was simply the only mistake on which the Yankees capitalized.

Pomeranz threw at least a dozen or more hittable fastballs middle-in or down the middle when they were supposed to be inside. If Pomeranz pitches like this the rest of the season and in the postseason, he is going to have problems.

In the fifth inning, after Pomeranz gave up the home run, he started to break out his cutter. Eckersley made the comment that he should throw it more often.

He should.

Pomeranz has a tendency to be a two-pitch pitcher with the fastball and curveball. But he has a decent cutter, and he should be throwing the cutter inside to righties more, not simply the straight fastball.

If Pomeranz continues to try to bust righties inside with his fastball, he is going to get hit hard, and there will be reasons for concern during the rest of the season. But if he changes his approach and utilizes the cutter more, he could continue his early success the rest of the season.

Do we trust Pomeranz as the potential number two or number three starter in the postseason?

Not fully. At least not yet.

But let’s see how the rest of the season develops before we make any decisions on the playoffs.