Fans three in Pawtucket tuneup Eovaldi starts to get closer
The sooner the Red Sox find out if their experiment with Nathan Eovaldi as the closer for the rest of the season is a success, the better.
Eovaldi offered hope yesterday in Pawtucket that they are on the right track.
And they’re going to find out soon.
Eovaldi pitched a dominating second inning for the PawSox, striking out three batters, walking one and needing 19 pitches for the three outs. As a test, the results were far less important than how Eovaldi, out since April elbow surgery, responds Friday.
If he feels fine, then the Red Sox will activate him tomorrow or Sunday in Baltimore.
“I feel like I’ve gone through all the tests I possibly can, I feel like I’m ready to go,” Eovaldi said. “I felt really good. Cutter felt better. I didn’t throw any splits today, but threw some curveballs and felt really good.”
He does not believe he will experience a major transition going from the rotation to the bullpen.
“I’m trying to get my mind right” for throwing every day, Eovaldi said.
Manager Alex Cora is just trying to be patient until the day when he can deploy his potentially dangerous weapon.
“It’s very significant,” Cora said. “That’s one more arm and there’s a few more guys that have thrown the ball well, too.”
Hernandez zeroes in
Darwinzon Hernandez looked ultra sharp in his one inning of work in the ninth inning, closing out the 5-0 victory over the Blue Jays at Fenway. Facing a particularly tough spot in the order — Randal Grichuk, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Justin Smoak — Hernandez retired them all, the first two on strikeouts, then Smoak on a ground ball. Hernandez needed 12 pitches, nine of them fastballs thrown between 94 and 97.1 mph, the other three sliders.
He fell behind Grichuk, 3-1, but Grichuk swung and missed at a fastball down and then one up. Gurriel struck out on three pitches, two of them swings and misses.
Cora does not believe Hernandez, who was called from Pawtucket earlier this week and recently switched to the bullpen, will start to pitch in a lot of high-leverage situations, but you never know.
“We just felt like the matchups were good and needed to close it out there,” Cora said. “He’s getting used to it, the bullpen thing, you saw it the way he fell behind and attacked the hitters and attacked Gurriel. Grichuk first, he fell behind and was able to use that fastball and same thing to Gurriel. Good slider to Smoak, so he’s getting used to it. He’s very important.”
Devers goes deep
Rafael Devers hit another home run, his 19th overall and eighth against the Blue Jays this season, a three-run shot in the fifth inning. Devers has 28 RBI against Toronto, the most ever by a Red Sox player in one season. The teams have a threegame series remaining Sept. 10-12 in Toronto.
Devers is hitting .325 on the season and, with 73 RBI, is just one RBI behind teamleader Xander Bogaerts.
“My confidence has always been the same,” Devers said. “The only difference between this year and last year is that I was hurt last year. This year luckily I’ve been healthy and I’ve been able to play more games. I haven’t changed my approach really. Making little adjustments here and there. Just being healthy is what has been benefiting me overall.”
Mookie Betts’ streak of 13 games with at least one run scored is the current longest in the league and one away from being the longest this season. …
Bogaerts, who went 2-for-4, has at least two hits in his last six games, and is hitting .475 over his last 10 games. …
The two hits allowed by Red Sox pitchers was a season-low. …
In their last 18 getaway games, the Red Sox are 15-3.
Moreland close
First baseman Mitch Moreland is slated to play one rehab game with Pawtucket. If all goes well, he will be returned to the active roster this weekend in Baltimore.
Steve Pearce, out since June 1 with a bad back, is nowhere close to returning.
“He’s in Fort Myers, just rehabbing down there and nothing close to being back,” Cora said.
As for veteran second baseman Dustin Pedroia, out with a bad knee and expected by few to play again, Cora said, “The last time I talked to him was with Tito (Terry
Francona) in the All-Star Game. Yeah, he’s doing OK. Just relaxing and thinking about stuff. Spending time with the family.” Twitter: @MikeSilvermanBB