Rios throwing great splitters to good effect. Nice adjustment.
Too bad cheater Richards can't adjust. He went 1.2 innings and gave up 4 earned runs. Workman and Rios, neither one an ace reliever, have gone 2.1 innings and given up 0 runs. Plus Workman saved cheater Richards from more damage in the bottom of the 2d.
I might add that I like the fact that this rule enforcement was not done in the offseason, which would only have allowed guys like Richards to figure out a different way to cheat.
Just about everybody else is adjusting with varying degrees of success. If Richards can't adjust, that's good for MLB because obviously he has been cheating heavily. Too bad for the Sox of course, but no worse than acquiring Sandoval, HanRam, et al.
What a contrast. Workman is still trying to prove himself with the Sox and tonight has thrown a zillion knuckle curves. He has given up 2 walks, no hits, and no runs in 1.1 innings.
Workman is pitcher. Richards is a crybaby. Hill for the Rays is also a pitcher.
Funny thing about Richards. Everybody else is throwing breaking balls, but he can't/won't and prefers to blame his problem on that meanie, the Commissioner of MLB.
The spin rate stat is the culprit. The WEEI guys can quote Richards' spin rate--before and now--as well as other Sox pitchers like Eovaldi and ERod who don't have high spin rates.
My theory is that absolutely no Sox player currently wants to lead off. Those who have done so have also fared better in the bottom third of the order.