After two straight losses, Red Sox starting pitcher Rubby De La Rosa bounced back Monday against Minnesota, allowing one hit over seven scoreless innings during a 1-0 victory. De La Rosa explained relying on his fastball led to snapping his two-game losing streak.
"Last couple outings, I didn’t throw my fastball a lot because I feel confident with my changeup, so I threw my changeup a lot," De La Rosa said, per WEEI.com. "They told me to throw my fastball because I have a good fastball. Throw fastballs and then the changeup behind that, nobody can hit that. They’re not prepared for that. That’s different. This time I tried to throw more fastballs."
Manager John Farrell was impressed with how De La Rosa was able to make the strategic change Monday.
"To be aware to what hitters did to him in his last two starts, in Baltimore and Detroit, and to go out and trust his fastball more, that set the tone," Farrell said. "I think if anything he should have gained some additional trust in that pitch, it’s 93-98 [miles per hour] and he’s got plenty to go to. Part of his learning curve is happening in front of our eyes."