Column: No surprise Richards finds success in bullpen
The Boston Red Sox have been going nowhere fast for a few weeks now, 7–15 since July 28.
But it hasn’t been all bad for every member of the ballclub, as 33-year-old right-hander Garrett Richards has been able to string together a series of competitive outings. Over his last six appearances, the veteran has allowed an alarming seven home runs over 25.2 innings — ballooning his ERA over that stretch to 4.91. However, he has been staked to a respectable 4.16 SIERA and a strikeout rate of 20.9 percent.
In his two outings since being moved to the bullpen, he has yet to allow a run in seven innings, allowing just four hits, walking one and striking out nine (34.6 percent of batters). Many are surprised by this sudden resurrection for a pitcher largely given up on by his fan base in the aftermath of the ‘sticky stuff’ crackdown back in late June. With that in mind, this shouldn't come as much of a surprise. The writing has been on the wall for this (re-)breakout from Richards ever since his July 21 start against Toronto.
The overall outing wasn’t much to write home about if you only happened to check the box score. Across 5.2 innings, Richards allowed four runs on four hits (three home runs), with a walk and five strikeouts. Yet, for those who watched the outing as a whole, you’d know that he’d only allowed one run until there were two outs in the sixth inning. Richards had allowed just two hits and struck out five through his first two trips through a star-studded Blue Jays lineup. Opponents slashed .111/.111/.278 through five innings.
Then things blew up in his face after a walk and consecutive home runs. But all in all, a good night for the Red Sox righty.
That was also the first night we got an honest look at how menacing his newfound changeup could be, especially to right-handed hitters. He threw 20 in total, 10 were swung at and he got three whiffs.
That changeup has become a lethal weapon for Richards; when he wants to use it. He cut the usage rate in half his following start against those same Blue Jays, and he couldn’t last more than four innings.
Overall, opponents have an expected batting average of .285 against his changeup, but he just learned it six weeks ago and has a PutAway rate of 26.3 percent on it. He already has a good curveball and a fastball that can be effective when not in the middle of the plate. Allowing his changeup to play off of his fastball, and vice versa, has become a revelation for this resurrection.
Moreover, the success he’s found in the bullpen shouldn't come as a shock because he’s been pitching a lot better the first time through the order. In his final four starts, the 33-year-old had a 3.12 ERA, .281 wOBA against, FIP of 3.41 and a hard-hit rate of 28.6 percent the first trip through the order. As a reliever, he’s only faced five hitters above the minimum through seven innings of work, so he’s been able to continue his magic through the first nine.
Richards deserves much more credit than he’s gotten for his 2021 campaign as it is. Before the crackdown, he’d been an excellent №3 starter for the Red Sox from the end of April onward. He led them in innings from April 27 through June 23, had a 4.25 ERA and a 4.21 FIP.
Yes, he struggled in the immediate aftermath of the crackdown. He even admitted that he needed to essentially re-learn how to pitch. The fact he was able to give competitive outings while not benefitting from time spent in the minor leagues is something of a minor miracle.
Nobody knows the actual level of dependency he had on sticky substances aside from himself. But people need to realize that even the worst big league hitter is one of the best hitters on the planet. Having to go through big league lineups while simultaneously re-learning how to pitch is not an easy feat.
It hasn’t always been perfect, but Garrett Richards has found a way to compete and get outs. Something the Red Sox need more than anything as they approach the home stretch of the season.