Panacea to Pinstripes
Eovaldi is cure for Yanks
Nathan Eovaldi could be giving the Red Sox a reason to root for the New York Yankees in the American League wild card game.
They can’t seem to touch him.
Eovaldi fired two more dominant innings, allow- ing just an unearned run and one hit while striking out four, though the Red Sox lost a meaningless game to the Yankees, 8-5, yesterday at Fenway Park.
Asked if he was concerned about the Red Sox’ three-game losing streak, manager Alex Cora firmly offered a simple, “no.”
Brock Holt admitted these games feel like spring training.
“I think everybody in here is ready to start playing those games that matter,” Holt said.
Said Cora, “I can’t wait till Monday.”
By late Wednesday night, the Red Sox will know who they’re playing. If it’s the Yankees, Eovaldi is just about assured a spot in the rotation. And one could even argue he should be starting Game 3.
Yesterday, he allowed leadoff man Brett Gardner to reach on an error by Rafael Devers and Gardner scored the first run of the day on a double by Giancarlo Stanton, the only hit Eovaldi allowed. That lone unearned run is the only run Eovaldi has allowed in 16 innings against the Yankees since joining the Red Sox in July. He’s given up just six hits in that span, striking out 13.
“My splitter has been feeling really well,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve been relying as much on my cutter. I’ve had good location on all my pitches. Going into the playoffs I feel really confident, really good about my mechanics and where I’m at with all my pitches.”
For the third time in six days, left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez was called on to pitch out of relief. His fastball sat around 94 mph, the highest average velocity of his three relief outings this week, and he was sharp until his second inning of work, when a belt-high fastball on the outer part of the plate was smoked for a solo home run off the bat of Gleyber Torres.
It was a big for the Yanks, marking their 265th of the season, most by any team in major league history. It broke the record held by the 1997 Mariners.
Pitching on just two days’ rest for the first time in his career, Rodriguez gave up three runs in two innings, throwing 44 pitches.
“Not good,” Cora said. “The lefties, Brett Gardner hit a line drive to left, Didi Gregorius hits a missile up the middle. Greg Bird stays on a pitch and hits it off the wall. He needs to be better. We tried to go up on Gleyber Torres and left it over the plate. So we need to be better. He’s part of this. Whatever role it is it’s your role and you have to go after it. Today wasn’t good.”
Rodriguez hadn’t allowed a run in his previous two outings, and while he was powerful in this one, he showed signs of tiring and lost command in his second inning of work.
“I’ve been feeling really good,” E-Rod said. “Just because I gave up a couple runs doesn’t mean I don’t feel good. I feel great. Just getting ready for the postseason.”
Rodriguez could end up being the only left-hander in the bullpen this postseason, unless the Sox tab him to start in a potential matchup with the A’s. But the way Cora is using Rodriguez this week makes it seem almost impossible he could start a game in eight or nine days. He might even throw an inning out of relief today.
“Right now just trying to get used to it, getting to 100 percent every time I’m on the mound,” Rodriguez said. “And then saving the velocity for the postseason, which is when we really need it.”
Could his fastball play up even higher than it has as a reliever? “You will see,” he said. Stanton homered (and collected his 100th RBI) off knuckleballer Steven Wright to put the game out of reach in the seventh.
Brock Holt homered in the ninth, giving him a .405 average and four homers in his last 13 games. Jackie Bradley Jr. struck out as the tying run to end the game.
Rick Porcello starts the final game of the season today.