Rays ace Chris Archer hoping for 'A slider' against Red Sox

BOSTON – Chris Archer, American League Cy Young Award winner. It could happen one of these years. It could even happen this year. But the Tampa Bay Rays right-hander has already spotted the field a three-game advantage.

In three starts, Archer is 0-3 with a 5.87 ERA against Toronto on Opening Day, at Baltimore on April 8 and against Cleveland on April 14. He has allowed 12 runs, 10 earned, on a league-high 22 hits with eight walks and 23 strikeouts in 15 1/3 innings, and an opponents’ average of .328.

Going back to last season Archer has a six-game losing streak in nine starts since his last win on Aug. 31 at Baltimore. The Rays are 2-7 in those games.

One major league evaluator said Archer’s command has been off, which has caused him to take some velocity off his fastball, while his slider has not had the bite it typically does. According to fangraphs.com, his average velocity is down on his fastball, from 95.2 mph last season to 93.6 this year, and his slider (87.9, 86.9).

“It’s been fastball command for the most part,” said Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey. “You have to get guys to honor the fastball, to be geared to hit the fastball, especially when he throws with the velocity that he does. Then it makes them vulnerable to the off-speed stuff, especially his slider which is, as I’m sure you know, one of the biggest swing-and-miss pitches that there is.”

“I look back and I haven’t had my A slider yet,” Archer acknowledged. “I’ve still had some pretty decent results, and I’m thinking that I can definitely use my changeup a little more. My fastball’s been OK, but I think at the end of the day the sharpness of my slider has been the difference maker with the balls that I’ve had damage on. They’re not-executed sliders, maybe some decent action but not in the right location.

“Last game it was much better, against Toronto it was pretty good not great, against Baltimore it was crappy. But again we have those days, and definitely not making any excuse, I’m just going to have to find -- that day will come again over the course of the season, over the course of my career -- I’m just going to have to find better ways to navigate through and get better results.”

Archer is on the doorstep of some ignominious history. Only two pitchers in Rays’ history have begun a season by losing their first four starts – Jae Seo lost his first five in 2006 and Dave Eiland lost his first four in 1999.

To break the streak Archer has a tall order ahead of him. He is scheduled to make his fourth start of the season on Wednesday against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. He is 1-6 with a 5.14 ERA in 11 career starts against the Red Sox, compared to 31-29 (3.21) against all other opponents. He won his first start against Boston, on Sept. 19, 2012, and has lost six straight decisions since – the longest losing streak in team history against the Red Sox. In three career starts at Fenway he is 0-1 (5.65), lasting just five or fewer innings in all three. He last faced the Red Sox on Sept. 21 at Fenway, matching a career high with five walks while his three strikeouts matched his fewest for the season.

The Red Sox aren’t taking anything for granted.

“It’s early, man, it’s early,” said Red Sox DH David Ortiz, who is 9 for 27 with two home runs and 11 RBI in his career against Archer.

“He’s pitched what, three or four games, out of what 35 that he’s going to pitch? Good pitchers always find a way to figure things out. I know he will. The problem with good pitchers like him is that they don’t get away with making mistakes, because when you know that a guy is that good you want to make sure that when he makes a mistake you take advantage of it. And I’m pretty sure that‘s what is happening with him right now. But other than that I’m pretty sure he’ll be fine.”

Despite his record Archer has found something to like about each of his outings this season.

“Yeah, totally,” he said. “All three of my starts I thought I threw the ball well minus maybe an inning or two here or there. It kind of stinks how your whole outing can be defined by a couple of hitters or even one inning. But I’ve done a lot of good things this year. I had that tough outing in Baltimore that was really just like a three or four hitter stretch, and outside of that I’ve given up two earned runs in my other gamers and I haven’t even been myself. So been very diligent, as always, about my work that I put in, and definitely going to turn that corner here pretty soon, looking forward to doing that against these guys, but it’s going to be a tall task. They have a great lineup, they have a nice mix of veteran and youth, but overall it’s going to be a nice challenge, just like everyone we have in this division, and I’m looking forward to getting out there.

Rays second-year manager Kevin Cash has not seen any difference in Archer in this stretch.

“I say that as a good thing, nothing different at all,” Cash said. “Fortunately for me, first year last year I got to see Chris Archer really good. He was outstanding, and I knew that he had scuffled at times earlier on with the Rays. But last year there was not too many scuffling moments for him. This early part of the season if he is scuffling, he has not acted any different. He still carries himself really well. He’s still very much a leader on this staff and he’s going to get it going for sure.”

The right-hander’s confidence has not wavered despite his struggles.

“No,” Archer said emphatically. “And that’s how I’ve been able to navigate through it. If I don’t make a pitch or if there’s misplay or if there’s a home run, whatever, you turn the page immediately because all you can control is what’s right in front of you.”

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2016/04/20/rays-ace-chris-archer-red-sox/83281098/