Red Sox reliever escapes big jam with Justin Slaten (side) hurt: ‘It’s nothing I’m not used to’
BOSTON — Justin Slaten has been an early-season bullpen standout for the reeling Red Sox, striking out five batters in 3 ⅓ shutout innings over four games so far. Facing a seventh-inning jam Tuesday, though, manager Alex Cora went to Zack Kelly to replace Garrett Crochet after 107 pitches. The reason?
Slaten was unavailable — and is day-to-day — with side soreness. “He has a sore oblique on the right side. I don’t want to call it an oblique, but it’s on the right side.
We’ll see how he feels tomorrow and then we’ll go from there. ” The Red Sox will know more about Slaten’s status Wednesday when they finish their homestand with a matinee rubber game against Milwaukee. On Tuesday, though, it was Kelly who entered the game in a near-impossible spot — and delivered.
After dominating for six innings, Crochet went out to the mound with a newly formed 3-0 lead in the seventh and quickly hit the wall. Joey Ortiz and Sal Frelick singled before Blake Perkins worked a one-out walk. Crochet’s final pitch of the evening hit light-hitting ex-teammate David Hamilton and made it 3-1.
With the bases loaded, one out and star Christian Yelich coming to the plate as a pinch-hitter, it was time for Kelly to face a high-leverage spot on a 44-degree night at Fenway. “The phone rings and it gets pretty warm really quick,” Kelly said. Kelly missed with his first two pitches before working his way back into a 2-2 count.
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