BOSTON -- When Craig Kimbrel took the field Wednesday night, the Boston Red Sox had a five-run lead over the Texas Rangers. Still, Kimbrel's name appeared on the scoreboard in center field in flamed lettering, and "Welcome to the Jungle" played just as it would if he was coming in for a save.
Kimbrel's struggles in non-save situations have been well documented. He allowed four runs without recording an out in Tuesday night's loss to the Rangers, pushing his ERA in non-save situations to 6.75.
That's why before Wednesday's game, Kimbrel requested the ball -- regardless of the score.
"He made it clear," Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "He wanted to be back on the mound tonight. With only 12 pitches thrown last night, he is fresh and wanted to make sure we got an opportunity to work through some things."
Sure, there were some differences in the situation. After all, a five-run lead offers far less pressure than a one-run deficit in the ninth. Still, it was a chance for Kimbrel to face his struggles directly and immediately.
"We felt like with tomorrow's off day, we didn't want to let last night linger too long," Farrell said. "We talked before the game, he was very clear, he wanted to get back out onto the mound regardless of the game score. He came in, was much more in command and had very good stuff."
Kimbrel was hardly perfect in his scoreless inning of relief. The all-star walked two batters after retiring the first two, and showed some issues with his command yet again. Still, his ERA in non-save situations dropped to 6.28, and he pitched better even without any major mechanical changes.
"I think it's just more separating yourself from the scoreboard and going out because he has got such premium stuff," Farrell said. "That was the case last night, the results weren't there, so it's more -- I can't say that there was an overhaul in 24 hours delivery-wise."
John Farrell doesn't deserve blame for Kimbrel struggles
So now, when Kimbrel looks back at his last outing, he can see a zero in the runs column instead of a four. He can remember as anything other than the disaster his Tuesday night outing was. But at a position that demands a strong mentality to pair with dominant stuff, fixing problems quickly seems like a good way to approach things.
"I think more than anything, it's pitch regardless of the score," Farrell said. "Easier said than done at times. But still, a pitcher's number one job is to execute a pitch in the moment, regardless of the inning or situation. He was able to do that much better tonight."