Andrew

Cashner

Cashner posted a 3.83 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over 96 1/3 innings for the Orioles last season before flopping down the stretch after being traded to the Red Sox. The veteran right-hander should at least offer the O’s someone who can eat innings, but expecting him to put up a sub-4.00 ERA again for them is probably asking too much.

It’s hard to believe Cashner, who started just six of his first 93 appearances in the big leagues, hadn’t fallen into a save before Tuesday, but there’s a first time for everything. The timing of it is also serendipitous because the appearance was Cashner’s first since being moved to the bullpen from the starting rotation following his latest disastrous start on Sunday. He did strike out two while giving up a hit in the inning of work, but too much shouldn’t be read into the outing -- the Sox had already used Matt Barnes, Nathan Eovaldi and Brandon Workman to get to that point in the game. Workman appears to be manager Alex Cora’s closer du jour at the moment, but the hard-throwing Cashner could work himself into a high-leverage role -- and possibly even into the closer conversation -- if he shows well in his new relief role.

Cashner had been on a nice run when the Red Sox acquired him from the Orioles a month ago, but he’s been a disaster in Boston with an 8.01 ERA over six starts. Manager Alex Cora plans to use him in short stints in relief. Rick Porcello will remain in the rotation for now and start on Friday.

Cashner was wild, and not in a good way, from the outset Sunday, allowing a ground-rule double, a walk and a single to load the bases before he secured the first out. He escaped with just one run allowed, but in the second inning he was less fortunate. There, he walked the bases loaded and surrendered a two-run single to Shohei Ohtani. After then walking Albert Pujols, manager Alex Cora decided he’d seen enough. The start was easily Cashner’s shortest of the year and marked the fifth time in six outings as a member of the Red Sox that he’s failed to deliver a quality start. The 32-year-old is 10-7 overall this year but has a 4.83 ERA and 1.37 WHIP following Sunday’s contest. A meeting with his former Orioles teammates is on tap for Saturday.

Cashner served up a trio of home runs, including a couple to Jorge Soler. He was clearly on the ropes in the sixth inning and probably shouldn’t have been allowed to face Soler for a third time, but Red Sox manager Alex Cora elected to leave Cashner in and it cost him. Cashner had been on a roll when Boston acquired him, but he’s now posted a 7.53 ERA in five starts with the Red Sox. If they keep him in the rotation, he should get the Angels on Sunday.

He made it easy for the Rays by walking five batters and striking out only one. The Rays added seven knocks as well but it was mostly unforced errors that doomed Cashner to failure today. He walked in a run, let a run score on a wild pitch and saw another run dash home on a passed ball by Sandy Leon. Cashner burned 110 pitches in less than six innings and barely half of them were strikes. He falls to 10-6 with a 4.51 ERA in 22 games (21 starts) with the Orioles and Red Sox this year. His 82:39 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 119 2/3 innings is mediocre at best.

Cashner held the Bombers to one run over his first six innings before running into trouble in the seventh. Even though he gave up 10 hits, he avoided the nightmare inning and the home run issues from his first two starts with Boston. Cashner struck out six and walked one in an encouraging outing against an intimidating opponent. The important starts keep on coming, as he’ll try to keep things rolling next week against the Rays

Cashner has made two starts with the Red Sox since being traded over from the Orioles earlier this month. Neither has been particularly impressive. He was knocked for six runs (five earned) against the Blue Jays last time out, with his former team compounding his early woes on Sunday. In Sunday’s contest, he allowed a solo home run to Trey Mancini in the first inning, an RBI double to Chris Davis in the second inning and a two-run tater to Mancini (that guy again) in the third inning. Cashner will look to rebound against the Yankees at Fenway Park in his next scheduled outing. He will bring a 4.19 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 75/33 K/BB ratio (107 1/3 innings) into that contest as the Red Sox try desperately to cling to the rapidly dwindling possibility of making a division run.

Making his Red Sox debut, the right-hander struggled against a decent Jays lineup, giving up a pair of homers among his eight hits allowed. Cashner also walked two and struck out two in his Boston opener. It was a disappointing first start but Cashner has been very good since the start of June and can be forgiven for an off night. He’ll carry a 4.09 ERA and 1.23 WHIP into a start against a team with which he’s intimately familiar, the Orioles, on Sunday.

Cashner has enjoyed a rebirth this season, posting a 3.83 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over 96 1/3 innings while earning nine wins on a bad Orioles team, and he’ll now try to carry that over to Boston. He’s set to make his Red Sox debut Tuesday versus the Blue Jays. The 32-year-old right-hander doesn’t generate many strikeouts, which limits his fantasy appeal, but he should get a slight boost with the move to a contending team. He’s owed around $3.5 million through the end of this season and carries a $10 million club option for 2020. Prado and Romero are both 17-year-old prospects from the international market.