FORT MYERS, Fla. – Rick Porcello knows he has a First Inning Problem. The numbers say so (6.55 ERA last year in the first), and even if they didn’t, Porcello would know, having endured some rough first frames that put him and his team behind early.
So when Porcello gave up two quick runs in the first inning Sunday to the Baltimore Orioles, it looked like more of the same. But upon closer examination, it wasn’t.
Yes, Porcello yielded two runs on four hits. But few of the hits were hard-hit (there was a bunt single involved and later, soft liner to left) and it didn’t help that Rafael Devers failed to turn a double play on a relatively routine play, giving the O’s another out.
“I’ve got to get better in the first inning, for sure,’’ said Porcello after the Sox dropped a 7-3 decision to Baltimore. “I attribute a lot of what happened last year (in the first) to failure to command the ball, and even with the line I had today, I commanded the ball much better than I did at a lot of different times last year.
“But the first inning, even the year before (when he won the Cy Young Award), for whatever reason, it’s been one of those innings that’s been tough for me. It seems like, right out of the gate, your back is against the wall and you’re trying to get out of it and limit the damage. We definitely need to look at it and see if there’s any patterns or trends that I’m going through that they’re combatting with a good game plan and if there’s different angles or (pitch selection) that I need to give them early on to get through that first without digging us a hole.’’
Porcello believes if he can command his sinker better and keep the ball down in the zone better, he’ll be more effective – in any inning.
“I gave up a lot of big hits on that pitch a year ago,’’ said Porcello. “Our priority right now is to be relentless and aggressive and throw that down below the zone and everything works off that.’’
Porcello has mulled a number of solutions, including throwing more in the bullpen prior to starts “to take the adrenaline edge off. That’s something I’ll maybe do in my next start. But there’s a fine line between throwing too much and losing steam before you even get out there and being right. I think it’s just (being able to) bear down and if it’s a different look we need to give them, then it’s a different look.’’
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