Think about how ironic this is: the guy with the most wins in Major League Baseball proved how meaningless wins truly are last night.
How? He has the most wins in baseball. Right, but we’re talking Rick Porcello. Yeah, he’s like one of the best pitchers in baseball though. Yeah, he also like lost like yesterday like despite like giving up like one run in like eight innings like. The Red Sox lost to the Baltimore Orioles, 1-0. Porcello fired eight innings of four-hit ball, surrendering one run (1.25 ERA this game). And yet, he picks up the loss. Wow.
Beforehand, Porcello had been receiving far and away the most run support of any pitcher in the big leagues. I’m sure he still is on the year too. But when the Red Sox met up with a red-hot Kevin Gausman, there really wasn’t much they could do.
So yeah, Porcello picked up his fourth loss of the season despite firing one of his best outings. Even losing the game, he did sharpen his Cy Young case.
Ignore the wins and losses for a second — albeit the average 50-year-old guy is blown away by his 20-4 record. He could be 4-20 for all I care. But he owns a 3.12 ERA in 30 starts this season and he has struck out 167 batters in 201.2 innings. Guess that makes him a hero on this Red Sox pitching staff.
And keep in mind: Porcello pitches half his games at Fenway Park, the most hitter-friendly park in the American League, facing tough American League East lineups just about as much as anyone. So yeah, his 3.12 ERA is better than Chris Sale’s 3.03 ERA
Also consider: Porcello is throwing exceptionally well as of late (2.31 ERA in his last seven starts with just three walks in 50.2 innings). There’s an actual chance his ERA could drop below three in his next three starts. Not bad for a guy people wanted banished from Boston last year.