EOVALDI SHARP AS SOX EDGE MARLINS
Tosses five shutout innings with 7 Ks
It’s been a dismal season for the Red Sox, but they seem intent on finishing it out respectably.
RED SOX 5 MARLINS 3
Backed by a strong performance from Nathan Eovaldi and some clutch hitting, the Red Sox closed out a ninegame road trip with a 5-3 win over the Marlins on Thursday. They finished the trip 5-4 as they return to Boston for the last time this season, starting a six-game homestand with their first and only visit from the Yankees on Friday.
Here’s how it happened:
Eovaldi dominant
It was thought that a 60game season would benefit the injury-plagued Eovaldi, who missed most of last season with an elbow injury, and that he could make something in the neighborhood of 12 starts. That didn’t happen, but the right-hander is still trying to finish the season strong.
Eovaldi missed three weeks with a calf issue before returning with three strong innings against the Rays last Saturday. He knew he would go longer in Thursday’s start against the Marlins, and he looked the best he has all season in doing so, as he threw five shutout innings and struck out seven in 76 pitches of work. He didn’t allow any walks.
Eovaldi didn’t give up any hits until the fifth inning, when he yielded a leadoff double to Garrett Cooper and then a single to Miguel Rojas, which put runners on the corners with no outs. But Eovaldi responded with two strikeouts of No. 8 and 9 hitters Jazz Chisholm and Chad Wallach before inducing an inning-ending ground out to Corey Dickerson as Xander Bogaerts’ throw barely beat him at first.
Eovaldi was in control for most of the afternoon, with excellent command and pitch mix. His fastball was on fire, hitting 100 mph multiple times, including on a strikeout of Wallach in the third. He looked strong and fully healthy. It begs the question, as Jerry Remy made the case for on the NESN broadcast, if the Red Sox should risk having him pitch again this season.
With nine games left, Eovaldi could pitch two more times if he goes on five days rest — next Wednesday against the Orioles and the season finale vs. the Braves. But given where the Red Sox are in the standings and Eovaldi’s injury history, it may not be worth sending him out again as they look out for 2021 and beyond. With some uncertainty at the top of the Red Sox rotation, as Chris Sale won’t be ready for Opening Day and questions on how Eduardo Rodriguez will be as he recovers from myocarditis, the Red Sox need Eovaldi to stay strong and healthy to start next season.
It doesn’t seem like that will happen, but the Red Sox know how important it is
for Eovaldi to be fully healthy as he heads into the third year of his $68 million contract.
“I know he wants to be out there and compete but we want to make sure he’s healthy to end the year and going into the offseason that everything’s working the right way,” Red Sox pitching coach Dave Bush said. “I’m glad to have him back. He’s a big part of our rotation. I like having him out on the mound, I like having him compete. I know he wants to be out there so I know this is important for him and for us to get him out there a couple of more times.”
Plawecki comes through
The Red Sox were 1 for their last 17 with runners in scoring position when the bats finally got the job done to break it open. With two outs and the bases loaded in a scoreless game in the sixth, Kevin Plawecki ended a quality nine-pitch at-bat with a two-run single to left to make it 2-0.
Then, with runners on the corners in the seventh, Rafael Devers continued his recent tear, crushing a threerun homer to right that made it 5-0.
Devers is now hitting .463 (19-for-41) over a 10-game hitting streak that’s seen him hit five homers and five doubles with 14 RBIs.