Game one of this series was a back-and-forth affair that saw the Boston Red Sox (11-10) leave with a 5-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers (14-6). Game two is Saturday night in Milwaukee, building up to this Sunday matinee. Will Boston strike first again, or will the Brewers continue to saw through everyone in front of them? At 2:10 p.m. EDT in American Family Field, we'll all find out.
Dugie's really into taking the lead. pic.twitter.com/4RyQiI7r3a
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 22, 2023
Despite a losing season, the 2022 Red Sox were one of baseball's top-10 offenses. 2023 has been much of the same, as Friday's win pushed them to second in runs scored among MLB's 30 teams. They are putting up 5.5 runs per game, led by Alex Verdugo's .931 OPS (24th among qualified batters) and Rafael Devers' .578 slugging percentage (15th). Their hitting numbers as a team are all much better at home, but they're still putting up over five runs a game on the road. Home runs weren't one of their strengths in 2022, but they have the eight-most homers in baseball right now.
What limited their success in 2022 was pitching, and that hasn't changed much either. So far this year, it hasn't been the bullpen's fault. After finishing bottom-five in WAR and ERA last year, the Red Sox's relievers are 13th or better in both stats plus FIP in 2023. Their B B/9 is sixth, and HR/9 is fifth among all MLB bullpens. Adding Kenly Jansen was a massive stabilizer to the back end.
Starting pitching has been a disaster, and Brayan Bello's only 2023 start didn't help. When he starts in this one, it'll be hard to fare worse than allowing five runs in 2.2 innings as he did last Monday. Last year was Bello's rookie season, and he finished with a 1.779 WHIP and 4.71 ERA. He only allowed one home run in 2022 though, finishing with a 0.2 HR/9 and 2.94 FIP as a result. Bello has already allowed a long ball in 2023. He pitched in Milwaukee last July, earning the loss despite holding the Brewers to two runs in 4.1 innings.