Filling in for Price, Fister rebounds to turn back Indians

It may not have shown in his pitching line, or, for that matter, in the final score, but while making a relief appearance on the Red Sox’ West Coast road swing last week, Doug Fister believed he finally had figured some things outs.

Fister gave the Sox two scoreless frames as the team went deep into extra innings against the Seattle Mariners on July 25, but after the Red Sox had taken a one-run lead in the top of the 13th, a walk, a wild pitch and an infield single helped allow the Mariners to steal a win.

The outcome was discouraging, naturally. But Fister believed that some adjustments to his delivery had made his sinker more effective, and eventually, that would result in dividends.

Payday came on Monday night.

Plugged back into the starting rotation to fill in for David Price, Fister finally got the results he was working toward. He allowed just two runs on five hits over 7.2 innings in a 6-2 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

“He pitched a gem,’’ boasted John Farrell.  “When he went to the bullpen, he made some adjustments to his stride direction (that has) allowed him to refine his release point.’’

“I was kind of flying open (in my delivery),’’ said Fister, “and was too high in my arm slot. Basically, I was taking away my deception and my angle. I really have to work on my angle and staying closed and staying through things and allowing my body to catch up.’’

Fister saw the benefits of his side work right from the first inning, when he recorded three groundouts on just eight pitches. That affirmation got him started on a roll, to the point where he faced more than the minimum number of hitters just twice in his first six innings.

Through the first four innings, 10 of the first 12 outs came on the ground, as hitters pounded his sinker into the Fenway turf, and more often than not, at a Boston defender.

“It sounds like maybe a small thing,’’ said pitching coach Carl Willis, “but we changed where he was on the rubber and looked at some video from earlier in his career (and worked) on his direction to home plate, a tad more across his body to kind of work against that front leg and create that sink. And it really showed itself.

“It showed itself in (side sessions), too, but he had to get comfortable with it again on the mound and I thought he did that tonight.’’

Willis had some concern about how Fister matched up against some of the Indians hitters, but sharper command and a slow curveball enabled the veteran to keep the Cleveland lineup off-balance.

“You don’t see a lot of sinker/curve ball guys,’’ said Willis. “It confuses the hitters.’’

Fister and Willis have a shared history, having worked together in Seattle from 2009-2011 and that institutional knowledge helps Willis ready checkpoints for when he sees Fister needing some mechanical adjustments.

Later in the game, Fister was hit harder, and when he yielded a single, a hard-hit lineout and a two-run homer, his night was over. But the satisfaction lingered.

It’s unknown how long Price may be sidelined or how many chances Fister will get as his replacement in the rotation. But Monday was evidence that Fister is fully capable of more than he showed in his first four starts for the Sox (19 innings, 18 runs allowed).

“It’s definitely progress,’’ said Fister.  “I’m not there yet. But it continues to go in the right direction.’’