Morning sports update: Alex Cora says struggling Joe Kelly ‘needs to get better’
"I don’t know how we’re going to do that but that’s a guy who’s very important to what we’re trying to accomplish and right now we don’t have that guy."
J.D. Martinez homered twice for the Red Sox in their 7-6 defeat to the Orioles on Tuesday night. Baltimore did not summon closer Zach Britton in the ninth inning, instead shipping him to the Yankees for three pitching prospects.
Alex Cora says struggling Joe Kelly ‘needs to get better’
With the Red Sox trailing by a run in the sixth inning on Tuesday, manager Alex Cora called for Joe Kelly. The reliever has struggled of late, but Kelly was set to face the bottom of the Baltimore lineup and Cora felt that was a “good pocket” in the game for him.
“Two guys that are hitting .200 and a lefty in there,” Cora said, per the Eagle Tribune. “We have to trust him. He’s very important for us. It just didn’t happen.”
Instead, Kelly loaded the bases with Chris Davis, Renato Núñez, and Caleb Joseph — walk, walk, single — then allowed the top of the order to bring two runs home. Cora yanked the right-hander in favor of Hector Velazquez, who gave up another run before the inning was over.
“I don’t feel great, obviously,” Kelly said. “Going out there and I would say I haven’t been good for a while. I’m just trying to go out there and figure out a way to throw the ball the way I want to again. I’ve been working on some stuff mechanically. I feel like it’s getting closer, but obviously anytime you let guys get on base for free, it comes back, and it bit us today.”
Kelly started the season on a tear, posting a 1.63 ERA through the month of May from the mound and battering any Yankees who came near it. Since the start of June, however, he has walked as many batters (13) as he has struck them out.
“We need to get better. He needs to get better,” Cora said. “I don’t know how we’re going to do that but that’s a guy who’s very important to what we’re trying to accomplish and right now we don’t have that guy. We have to keep working, get him right, his stuff is there it’s just a matter of trying to get him back to where he was.”
The reliever hasn’t lost any faith in his own ability.
“It’s not the end of the world,” Kelly said. “I’ve pitched good before, I’ve pitched bad before. It’s the game of baseball. I have all the confidence in the world in myself. I’m fighting out there and doing whatever I can to get back to where I was.”
Clay Buchholz isn’t giving up on his MLB comeback: Buchholz struck out five in his return from an oblique injury. The former Red Sox right-hander signed a minor league contract with Arizona in May after being released by Kansas City.
“It’s just I’ve been around too long to melt away in the minor leagues,” Buchholz said. “I feel like I’m a big-league pitcher.” (Boston.com)
What experts are saying about the 2018 Patriots: The Patriots report for training camp on Wednesday. Here’s what NFL analysts are saying about New England as Bill Belichick and company prepare to chase a sixth Lombardi Trophy. (Boston.com)
5 potentially pivotal Patriots who were afterthoughts this offseason: All the attention this offseason has been paid to five Patriots: Tom Brady, Bill Belichick, Rob Gronkowski, Malcolm Butler, and Julian Edelman. But those are far from the only ones who will have an impact this season. Here are five players who were afterthoughts this offseason, but return to the field with something to prove. (Boston.com)
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