Olson grinds through difficult start with minimal run support

BOSTON -- On a picture-perfect day at Fenway Park, it was everything but that for Reese Olson and the Tigers, who fell, 6-3, to the Red Sox on Saturday.

It was by no means a strong outing for Olson, who entered the fray third in the American League with a 1.92 ERA, but once again, his offense provided minimal run support and Boston’s bats did what they needed to.

The right-hander allowed a harmless single in a scoreless first inning, but then gave up one run in each of the next three frames, before the hosts put up two more in the sixth to run Olson from the game after 5 1/3 innings.

“He was trying to keep it as close as possible,” explained manager A.J. Hinch. “When they got the momentum with their run scoring, then they created a little bit of havoc on the bases. There was an errant throw here and there, and all of the sudden, he’s trying to pitch out of a lot of jams.”

One Boston batter managed to do the bulk of the damage to Olson, as Enmanuel Valdez tuned him up for two home runs and a double, driving in three runs and scoring three.

“I didn’t feel great mechanically, so grinding through that,” explained Olson. “I’m happy to get to the sixth inning but then to give up that home run in the sixth is a little frustrating, but it is what it is.”

“One guy clearly had good looks,” noted Hinch of Valdez’s day at the plate against his club. “Two pull-side homers and then the ball off the Monster. Pitch selection is always key in that. We’ll take a look back at it.”

The right-hander had started the season without allowing a home run over his first 48.1 innings but had now yielded three in his last three starts. This was the third time in his career that he gave up two home runs in a game.

“I didn’t have great feeling in my fastball today, kind of a pretty good indicator of not feeling good mechanically, for whatever reason,” said Olson. “I’ll get it ironed out for my next one.”

Detroit’s offense did stake its starter with a 1-0 lead in the first inning for the second straight game before going dormant. In Olson’s last seven starts, the club averaged just 1.9 runs per game and this season they have scored two runs or fewer in five of his 11 outings. His 1.61 average runs of support per nine innings pitched, as a starting pitcher, is fewest in MLB (min. 8 starts).

“Early, we didn’t get ball off the ground,” said Hinch of his offense. “There were a ton of ground-ball outs. He was able to get a couple of punchouts. Once they got the lead, [Red Sox starter Cooper Criswell] works fast, he works in the strike zone, he tries to change pace and he was in control of the game.”

“We just got to put this one behind us and try and even out the series tomorrow,” said right fielder Matt Vierling, who had two doubles on the day. “Definitely, a little frustrating, a little more than a regular loss. We’ve just got to move on.”

The Tigers moved to 2-9 in games that Olson has started this season, while Olson falls to 1-6 on the year and his ERA rose to 2.48 after allowing five earned runs, the second most he allowed in a start this season.

“Making 30-32 starts throughout the year, you’re going to have days like that,” Olson concluded. “I felt like I did a decent enough job grinding through it.”