Joe Kelly’s first big league start following his foray into Triple-A ball wasn’t all that different from the ones that preceded his demotion.
Kelly, recalled Wednesday by the Boston Red Sox after a four-start stint in Pawtucket, did little to inspire confidence in his return to the Red Sox’s rotation.
Tasked with snapping Boston’s six-game losing streak, the 26-year-old right-hander instead surrendered four runs — all via home run — in 5 1/3 innings as the Sox fell to the Houston Astros 4-2 at Minute Maid Park.
Kelly struck out six, walked just one and for the most part kept Houston’s potent offense in check in the loss, but three pitches that missed their marks proved to be the difference in the game. Astros left fielder Preston Tucker deposited two over the fence, and slugger Evan Gattis provided a third long ball — an absolute laser that left the yard in about 0.3 seconds. (OK, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but trust us: It was a rocket.)
“(He left) a couple of pitches up out over the plate that they made him pay for,” manager John Farrell told reporters after the game, as aired on “Red Sox Extra Innings LIVE.” “A hanging slider to Gattis, a 3-2 fastball to Tucker in the first inning, and then he’s trying to get a ground ball on a two-seamer that didn’t quite get to the area for the two-run homer that gives them four runs.
“…Â I thought he made some big pitches with his fastball. He had a couple of called strikes looking. I thought he changed the eye level with some fastballs. But a couple of pitches out over the plate, and in an unforgiving ballpark such as this, it makes you pay for it.”
Despite his occasional mislocation, Kelly’s showing was enough for Farrell to trust him with another start. He will not be heading back to Pawtucket — not yet, at least.
“He stays as of right now,” Farrell told reporters. “There’s no plan to send him out.”
Being optioned to Triple-A undoubtedly was a humbling experience for Kelly, but after he posted a 5.67 ERA in his first 14 starts with the Red Sox this season, it did not come as a surprise. When asked using this latest opportunity as a chance to “press the reset button,” he said he’d like nothing more.
“I would love that,” Kelly told reporters. “Obviously, there’s no such thing as a reset button; I’m just going to go out there every five days and try to get better and better each time.”
Barring any changes to Boston’s rotation, Kelly’s next start likely will come Monday against the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park.
Thumbnail photo via Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports Images
