Boston has found the fall guy--or at least the first fall guy--for a pitching staff that ranks dead last among AL teams in runs allowed, firing pitching coach Juan Nieves.
Nieves has held the job since 2013 and Boston won the World Series in his first season, but since the beginning of last year the Red Sox rank 12th among AL teams in runs allowed.
There were plenty of question marks attached to Boston’s rotation coming into the season because of the lack of a clear-cut No. 1 starter, but no one could have expected Justin Masterson, Clay Buchholz, Joe Kelly, and Wade Miley all to have ERAs above (and several way above) 5.00.
No replacement has been named yet.
