MLB on Sling TV: Red Sox at Royals on ESPN; Regional Action on Fox Sports networks
Boston Red Sox (Porcello 6-1, 3.11) at Kansas City Royals (Ventura 3-2, 4.62) 7pm ET on ESPN
Rick Porcello has been dealing, pitching so consistently well that in his worst start he gave up 4 runs in 7 innings, and still got the win. Porcello’s success has been the result of outstanding control of the strike zone coupled with a little bit of luck. His strike-to-walk ratio of 4.60 is a career high, and among the league leaders, while his batting average on balls in play is just .254, which isn’t crazy-pants low, but far from his career norm of .314. In his last start against the A’s he went 6 ⅔ IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 SO, which isn’t great, but will get the W more often than not – in fact, going back to 1913, starting pitchers are 19-6 when posting those numbers.
Famed fireballer and notorious hotheaded Yordano Ventura had a great second half in helping the Royals win a title last season, going 11-3 down the stretch with a 3.10 ERA, though his WHIP was a pedestrian 1.25 and SO/BB ratio was a ho-hum 2.75. But the wheels have come off in 2016, as he’s issued 28 walks in just 37 innings, and given up even more hits, 30. It’s a miracle his ERA isn’t a run higher, and his winning percentage isn’t .300 lower. More troubling still over, his first 4 starts his SO/BB ratio was 1.50, but in his last 3 starts, it’s been .36. His last start, against the Yankees, he went 6 innings and gave up 3 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out just 1 – a .33 SO/BB ratio is not a recipe for greatness.
Meanwhile, FOX Sports regional networks across Los Estados Unidos have more baseball than you can watch in a night…
Cincinnati Reds (Lamb 0-0, 1.80) at Cleveland Indians (Anderson 0-3, 7.31) 6:10pm ET on FOX Sports Cincinnati & SportsTime Ohio
Atlanta Braves (Perez 1-0, 3.54) at Pittsburgh Pirates (Niese 3-2, 5.62) 7:05pm ET on FOX Sports Southeast
Boston Red Sox (Porcello 6-1, 3.11) at Kansas City Royals (Ventura 3-2, 4.62) 7:05pm ET on ESPN & FOX Sports Kansas City
Miami Marlins (Conley 1-0, 3.54) at Philadelphia Phillies (Eickhoff 1-5, 4.43) 7:05pm ET on FOX Sports Florida
Tampa Bay Rays (Smyly 1-4, 3.63) at Toronto Blue Jays (Happ 5-0, 2.05) 7:07pm ET on Fox Sports Sun
Minnesota Twins (Berrios 1-1, 6.28) at Detroit Tigers (Zimmerman 5-2, 1.50) 7:10pm ET on FOX Sports Detroit & Sports North
New York Yankees (Green NA) at Arizona Diamondbacks (Ray 1-2, 4.84) 9:40pm ET on FOX Sports Arizona & YES
Texas Rangers (Holland 3-2, 6.09) at Oakland Athletics (Manaea 0-1, 11.37) 10:05pm ET on FOX Sports Southwest
Los Angeles Angels (Shoemaker 1-5, 9.12) at Los Angeles Dodgers (Maeda 3-2, 2.30) 10:10pm ET on FOX Sports West