Rodriguez stumbles out of second-half gate
ANAHEIM -- After a stellar first half of the season, Red Sox rookie left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez looked to carry that momentum into his first start after the All-Star break, Monday against the Angels in Game 1 of a split doubleheader.
Instead, he finished the day allowing seven runs on six hits in 1 2/3 innings during an 11-1 loss. All the runs Rodriguez allowed came in the second inning during a span of six hitters, and only eight pitches. In that stretch, he allowed two singles, one double and two home runs.
"I missed my spots with the slider, changeup and fastball. I didn't throw it where I wanted to," Rodriguez said. "It was all about the location, not the pitch itself."
Much has been made of Rodriguez tipping pitches. The first time it was mentioned was June 25 against the Orioles. He allowed six runs on seven hits in 3 2/3 innings for the loss.
Red Sox manager John Farrell was quick to discount that Rodriguez's struggles in the game had anything to do with tipping pitches.
"No. I thought early on in the first inning he was a little quick with his delivery. He had trouble with command and pushed some changeups," Farrell said. "The second inning some pitches down the middle and they struck quickly. It wasn't a matter of tipping. That has been rectified."
Rodriguez was huddled over a computer with pitching coach Carl Willis after the game, looking at video of the contest.
"I don't know if that's something, but what happened today was that I didn't have good location," said Rodriguez.
He didn't get much help from left fielder Hanley Ramirez, who misplayed a ball hit by Daniel Robertson with runners on first and second and one out in the second. Ramirez tried to leap up and make the grab after the gaffe, but Robertson collected a double and another run scored.
"Based on what we've seen, he's kept things under control, even on days when it's not going in his favor," Farrell said. "To suggest that the play in left field was the undoing, I wouldn't go that far."