The Red Sox have had a quiet couple of games at the plate after starting the season with more than their fair share of fireworks. But things are not necessarily getting much easier at the plate Sunday afternoon as they face off against Miguel Gonzalez, Who Once Was In The Red Sox' System (yes, that's his full, official name).
I say "not necessarily" because, well, Miguel Gonzalez is one of those guys. He gives up a lot of contact, doesn't keep his walks down in the same way that, say, Rick Porcello does, and gives up both fly balls and the home runs that come with them. All told, it's a low BABIP and high strand rate that have gotten Gonzalez through two-and-a-half successful seasons with the Orioles now.
The question is, is Miguel Gonzalez an outlier because of how he pitches, because of the Orioles' defense, or because of how the balls have bounced and when? The Red Sox will try to show it's the latter today, but they will not be the first to try, and they would not be the first to fail. We'll see...
Go Sox!