Eovaldi manages to split opener result from productive afternoon

BOSTON—ThoughNate Eovaldi didn’t get the ultimate outcome he wanted, he nonetheless delivered a dominant Opening Day start against the Orioles for the second straight year. The31-year-oldallowedone run on four singles over 5 ⅓ innings, issuing one walk while striking out four in the Red Sox’ 3-0 loss to Baltimore.

Though he was charged with the loss, Eovaldi joined impressive company with a second Opening Day outing of at least five innings and one or no runs allowed: Pedro Martinez, Roger Clemens, Dennis Eckersley, Babe Ruth, and Frank Sullivan.

“Moving forward, it’ s definitely a confidence booster knowing what I had today,” Eovaldi said.

The righthander had arguably his most complete pitch mix since the end of 2018. He stopped throwing his slider in 2019, and again down the stretch in 2020, because the pitch had blended too closely into his curveball. His splitter also was inconsistent last year, and remained so throughout spring training before Eovaldi experienced an epiphany on Thursday.

“I was playing catch with thesplitter. Ifeltitclick,” said E oval di .“For me, when I feel something click the right way, I get that confidence right back with it. That’s whathappened.”

Eduardo Rodriguez gets closer: While Eduardo Rodriguez wasn’ t at F en way Park for the Opening Day ceremonies, he stopped in the Red Sox clubhouse on Friday morning before heading to the team’s alternate site at Polar Park in Worcester. Rodriguez—who missed the 2020 season while recovering fromm yo card it is that resulted from a COVID-19 infection — took another step toward returning to the team there, throwing four simulated innings against WooSoxhitters.

Striking debut for Hirokazu Sawamura: One day before he turns 33, righthander Hirokazu Sawamura made his big-league debut with a scoreless ninth in which he struckoutabatter. Thelongtime NPBveteran showed a sharp three-pitch mix that generated somebadswings.