PAWTUCKET -- For Joe Kelly, the mission is simple. “Just pitch better, I guess,” he said. Kelly will start Tuesday for Triple-A Pawtucket, his first start since the Red Sox optioned him to the minor leagues in the immediate aftermath of a shellacking in Baltimore. That he’s starting at all means he’s still under consideration to reclaim his job at the back end of the Boston rotation, a job that a series of scheduled off-days allowed Red Sox manager John Farrell to leave vacant temporarily. When discussing the as-yet-unassigned fifth starter’s job at Fenway Park late last week, Farrell was uncharacteristically blunt. “Clay (Buchholz), (Roenis) Elias, Joe Kelly, Henry Owens -- someone grab it,” the manager said. To grab the job, Kelly has to command his fastball better with the PawSox than he did in his last two starts with the Red Sox. He yielded two home runs and five earned runs in 4 2/3 innings at Toronto, and he followed that by giving up seven earned runs in 2 1/3 innings at Baltimore. Those two starts came on the heels of a start that saw him carry a no-hitter into the seventh inning against Cleveland at Fenway Park, epitomizing the enigma that Kelly has become. “He has a variety of weapons and different looks, but that fastball in on righthanded hitters, if he’s pitching inside, that makes for an uncomfortable at-bat,” PawSox manager Kevin Boles said. “I don't think it's a lack of trust or conviction. It's just him getting it in that right spot." What Kelly found was that inconsistency in the length of his stride caused inconsistency in the rest of his delivery, resulting in a lower arm slot and less downward action with his hand. Shortening his stride and standing taller were two of the focus points in a recent bullpen session with PawSox pitching coach Bob Kipper. “My last bullpen was good because I felt exactly what I needed to feel,” he said. “Now it’s just a matter of trying to get that feeling every time out and not get away from it.” To grab the job, Kelly will have to fend off a charge from Elias, who has struck out at least eight hitters in three of his last four starts -- including a complete game on Sunday at Norfolk. His ERA in his last four starts is 4.03, and he has struck out 44 hitters in his last 44 2/3 innings.
I'm perpetually going to believe that we're just around the corner from Kelly turning into a great pitcher... that he'll figure something out and lock it in and be exactly what we need in our rotation. I still do.... but holy crap this is ridiculous.
