Do Red Sox Have Best Bullpen Duo In Baseball?
The Boston Red Sox’s 7-4 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday ended the same way so many of their victories have this year — with Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman closing the door at the end of the game.
Whitlock and Chapman were lights-out, as usual, combining for 2 2/3 scoreless innings and five strikeouts. Neither allowed a walk or a hit while recording the final eight outs of the game, although Chapman did allow one of his strikeout victims to reach base on a wild pitch.
It was business as usual for the two relievers, who have been two of the best bullpen arms in baseball over the last two months. Since July 1, Chapman leads all relievers with a 0.43 ERA, while Whitlock is second in ERA at 0.74. They’re a big reason why Boston has the best bullpen ERA in the American League (3.48) during that span.
At age 37, Chapman is having the best season of his career, recently earning a contract extension because of it. The eight-time All-Star lowered his ERA to a microscopic 0.98 with Sunday’s outing — his 17th straight hitless appearance. He’s allowed just one earned run over his last 34 innings, posting a 0.26 ERA and a 0.94 FIP with 21 saves in 22 opportunities during that stretch.
Meanwhile, Whitlock has been nearly as dominant as his setup man. His 10.9 K/9 and 2.45 FIP are both career bests, and he’s allowed just one earned run over his last 25 appearances (0.39 ERA).
The Red Sox’s ability to shorten games by multiple innings has been massive, helping them surge into playoff contention this summer. Chapman and Whitlock have made life incredibly easy for Alex Cora, who has two of the game’s best late-inning arms at his disposal whenever a lead needs protecting.
If Boston does make the postseason, its two firemen will be even more critical in October, when starters typically throw fewer innings. If they keep it up, the Red Sox will be tough to beat.