Red Sox Starter Needs to Step Up Down Stretch

The Boston Red Sox (61-52) entered the All-Star Break riding high. With the sixth-best combined starters ERA (3.63), and team OPS (.748) over the first half of the season, the Red Sox could breathe a sigh of relief after finishing the 2022 and 2023 seasons below .500. While the offense has been even better to start the second half, the starting pitching has drastically regressed.

Entering Thursday, Red Sox starters have posted a 5.62 ERA through 18 games in the second half. In a recent article for MLB.com , Thomas Harrigan listed 10 players who needed to step up and help their contending teams. For the Red Sox, Harrigan named Kutter Crawford .

"Crawford has been one of Boston’s best starters this season, but he just had a three-start stretch in which he allowed 12 homers -- the most by any pitcher over a three-start span since at least 1901 -- and 16 runs over 15 innings. If Crawford continues to struggle, it’s going to be all the more difficult for the Red Sox to earn a playoff berth."

Crawford, 28, personifies the duality of Boston's 2024 season on the mound. In 19 first half starts, Crawford held a 3.04 ERA across 112 2/3 innings with 110 strikeouts. However, in four second half starts, Crawford holds a 10.61 ERA across 18 2/3 innings with 15 strikeouts.

Crawford enters Thursday with a 4.11 ERA on the season across 131 1/3 innings with 125 strikeouts and a 106 ERA+. It will be interesting to see how the Red Sox decide to use him down the stretch with both his recent struggles, and his new career high in innings pitched that he set in his most recent start.

One thing is for certain, Kutter Crawford needs to right the ship. Even if the Red Sox do limit his innings down the stretch, something resembling the production Crawford provided in the first would go a long way towards pushing the Red Sox into the postseason.