Red Sox lefty (2.25 ERA) is back in his old stomping grounds; ‘Pretty cool’

Red Sox' Chris Murphy reacts to a leaping catch made by Jarren Duran. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)Getty Images

Red Sox lefty reliever Chris Murphy pitched in college at the University of San Diego, which is only about eight miles from Petco Park. He returns to familiar territory this weekend as Boston is here for a three-game series against the Padres beginning Friday.

“I have a bunch of college friends that are going to be there,” Murphy said. “Fantasy football guys from the league that we have; a bunch of them.”

The 27-year-old has been awesome since the Red Sox reinstated from the IL on June 28 after a lengthy rehab from Tommy John surgery that he underwent in April 2024.

Murphy returns to his old stomping grounds with impressive stats: a 2.25 ERA, 0.80 WHIP and .155 opponent batting average in 20 innings (12 outings). His latest strong performance came Wednesday against the Royals, when he pitched 2 ⅓ scoreless and hitless innings.

His parents will be here, too. Murphy, who grew up in the Los Angeles area, estimated he’ll probably have about 20 family members and friends.

“It’s going to be pretty cool,” Murphy said. “But again, it’s just another city, another mound to throw on and just kind of keep going about my day. But I’m definitely going to enjoy that time.”

Murphy is using his curveball more often this season. He is throwing it 32.2% of the time, an increase from 18.3% as a rookie in 2023.

Opponents are 1-for-26 (.038) against the pitch, which has induced a 33.3% whiff percentage, per Baseball Savant.

“I feel like I’ve always had control of it and I just kind of leaned into it,” Murphy said. “Going back and watching, it was a big whiff pitch in ’23. So I was like, ‘Might as well just see how that looks right now.’”

His curveball was his best whiff percentage pitch in 2023 (32.8%).

“I know where that pitch is going and hitters are telling me to throw it essentially,” Murphy said. “Above all else, if it’s not getting good contact and it’s getting swing and miss in and out of the zone, then it’s something I’m going to throw a little bit more.”

He said the curveball has had about the same shape as did in 2023. His spin rate this year is up slightly but not much.

“It’s been working pretty well, so it’s something I’m going to continue to throw,” Murphy said.

Murphy is a perfect example of why it’s dangerous to read too much into rehab stats.

He allowed eight runs, 16 hits and nine walks while striking out 17 in 14 ⅔ innings over 11 rehab outings.

“I was working on stuff on the rehab assignment that was more along the lines of ... working on backdooring a cutter and then getting it in on a guy’s hands and making sure the fastball gets up and the curveball gets down on the plate and stuff like that,” he said.

“For me, it’s more just compete when I get up here,” Murphy added.

He has competed quite well. Opponents are just 3-for-22 (.136) against his fastball, his most used pitch. He throws it 35.2% of the time.

Opponents are just 2-for-12 (.167) against his cutter-slider, which is his third most pitch behind the fastball and curveball.

The pitch registers on Baseball Savant as a slider but he calls it a cutter to remind himself to throw it harder.

“For me, it is a slider metrically, like the way it spins, but mentally I have to call it a cutter so that I throw it harder,” he said. “If I call it a slider, it would probably be like 83, 84 (mph).”