May 27, 1991
The biggest story around the Red Sox organization this past week has clearly been the performance of starting pitcher Nate Minchey. He made his Major League debut on Monday and pitched 7 shutout innings in a 1-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Pitching exclusively out of the bullpen since coming over from Atlanta last season, Minchey threw 95 pitches in his first start in over a year. After waiting all week for his encore, Minchey did not disappoint this weekend in Detroit. He pitched 6 innings, allowing just 1 run on 7 hits without walking a batter. Some cause for concern is the fact that he’s struck out just 3 batters over his first 13 innings. His next start is slated for next weekend against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park.
Since moving to the starting rotation, Pat Hentgen has not been able to replicate the outstanding start he was off to as a reliever. After his start yesterday in which he surrendered 9 earned runs in just 1.2 innings, his ERA as a starter sits at 13.50 in his 4 starts. This was after he allowed just 2 runs in his 14.1 innings as a relief pitcher. It’s possible that he will return to the bullpen to see if he can recapture his early season success. As a Rule 5 selection, the 22 year old must remain on the active roster for the entire season.
The Red Sox traded for Matt Nokes in the offseason to be the backup catcher to Tony Pena. However, two months into the season, Nokes seems to be earning more playing time. He’s made the most of his opportunities with a .350 average and 2 home runs in his 60 at bats. Meanwhile, Tony Pena has struggled at the plate to the tune of a .189 batting average to date.
A rumor has surfaced that the Red Sox have made it known around the league that 27 year old outfielder Mike Greenwell could be had for the right price. With top prospect Moises Alou in Triple A and seemingly ready for a call up, Boston would likely resist a promotion until there is a clear path to regular playing time in their outfield. Greenwell, who was likely Boston’s most consistent hitter last season, has struggled a bit so far this year, hitting .272 with 2 home runs through the season’s first two months.
Boston was shorthanded in the bullpen for the majority of the week, as they were without the services of relief pitcher Jeff Reardon. He rolled his ankle in a game on Wednesday against the Brewers, and hasn’t pitched since. Manager Jim Fregosi has continued to assert that he is day to day and will avoid a trip to the disabled list.
Around the League
There were a couple of significant injuries around the league this week. Cincinnati shortstop Barry Larkin was diagnosed with an intercostal strain and will be out until the All-Star break. This is a significant blow to the defending champion Reds who find themselves in last place in the NL West at this juncture.
The Rangers’ 24 year old closer Rob Brown was diagnosed with forearm inflammation and he will likely miss the rest of the season. Brown had been off to an outstanding start this season, with 6 saves and a 1.88 ERA.
St. Louis starting pitcher Matt Young suffered a partially torn labrum in a start this week, and is expected to miss two months. After signing in the offseason, Young’s Cardinal career had been off to an outstanding start posting a 5-1 record and 2.34 ERA.
Seattle’s Tino Martinez was named AL Player of the Week, hitting .440 with two home runs and 8 RBI. He was overshadowed by the NL’s Player of the Week, as Pittsburgh’s Barry Bonds went 9-for-22 with a whopping 6 home runs last week. He now has 13 homers on the season, putting him 1 behind teammate Andy Van Slyke for the National League home run lead.
Week in Review
Making his Major League debut, 21 year old starter Nate Minchey was absolutely fantastic for the Red Sox today. He threw 7 shutout innings, allowing just 4 hits and he struck out 3. Every pitch Minchey threw was pressure packed in a 1-0 game throughout. Paul Assenmacher pitched a scoreless 8th inning and closer Steve Farr slammed the door in the 9th for his 5th save. Milwaukee starter Dave LaPoint was a tough luck loser, as he pitched a complete game while allowing just 1 run on 6 hits. An RBI double from Ellis Burks in the 1st inning pushed across the only run of the game, and was Boston's only extra base hit in the game. Tim Naehring went 2-for-4 for Boston as the only man in their lineup with multiple hits.
The Red Sox fell to Bud Black and the Milwaukee Brewers 8-1 tonight at Fenway Park. Black was excellent, pitching 7 innings and allowing 1 run on 5 hits. The lone Boston run came courtesy of a Mo Vaughn home run in the 2nd inning. Red Sox starter Pat Hentgen went 6 innings, and struggled to keep the ball in the yard. All 5 runs he surrendered came on 3 home runs for Milwaukee. Gary Sheffield, Darryl Hamilton and Scott Bryant each went deep for the Brewers. Paul Molitor went 3-for-5 to lead Milwaukee's offense. The teams will meet tomorrow for the rubber game of this 3 game series.
Roger Clemens dominated Milwaukee over 7 3-hit innings in an 8-1 win over the Brewers at Fenway Park. All of Boston's scoring came early, as they knocked starter Jaime Navarro out of the game after just 2.1 innings. Catcher Matt Nokes hit a 3 run home run in the 3rd inning which pushed Boston's lead to 8-1 at the time. It wasn't all great news for the Red Sox today, as reliever Jeff Reardon was forced from the game after facing just one batter due to an ankle injury. Manager Jim Fregosi said that Reardon would have tests tomorrow, but that the team is not initially concerned about the injury and expect that he will be day to day.