WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Consider Tuesday the calm before the storm.
It shouldn't have come as a shock American League All-Star manager A.J. Hinch chose to stay away from Craig Kimbrel, with Red Sox manager Alex Cora clearly making a plea to his former colleague to stay away from his closer, who had pitched four times in the last five days of the first-half.
Now comes what the Red Sox are hoping is the payoff on Cora's overall plan for Kimbrel.
Talking to WEEI.com prior to the All-Star Game, the reliever revealed how he and his manager were mapping out Kimbrel's potential workload in the second half. A big part of that conversation, of course, is how much he will pitch in the eighth inning.
"We had to answer a lot of questions about it when I was going to pitch the eighth, when am I not. But we're at the point now where this is the time we talked about (doing) it," Kimbrel said. "As the season along these are the times we talked about getting more in the eighth."
When the subject would come up throughout the first few months of the season, Cora routinely suggested a deeper talk with Kimbrel would have to be had. Evidently, that did take place, with an eighth-inning blueprint ultimately evolving from it.
"We had that conversation, but I think we both look at the game and understand how pitchers can make it through an entire season. Especially out of the bullpen," Kimbrel said. "If I was always coming in the eighth inning in April, May, June and July, doing it all year long, it would be a long year. I think what we've been able to do is do it here and there and as the season progresses those opportunities will start to increase. We've seen over the last two weeks I've come in the eighth inning a lot more."
Kimbrel has been called on to get more than three outs four times this season, never having to get as many as five. Last year he was extended beyond an inning seven times, but only once after July 15. Interestingly enough, the closer has actually thrown more pitches through the first 98 games than 2017 (701-660), having pitched in two more games (41-39). He has totaled 1/3 less inning.
"(The communication is) part of it. It's a year-long process," Kimbrel said. "AC being the manager, he's managing our workloads and I feel he's done a great job. I feel great.
"There's no way I could do it every single day, or two out of three days. I don't think I can do that. But to come in the eighth inning, get an out and come in the next day as we've done, it seems like it works out pretty good."
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