Nate Eovaldi took the hill in the top of the first inning yesterday and he took it in the top of the ninth as well. After eleven years in the league the Red sox sole remaining ace pitched the first complete game of his career.
Make that TWO complete games for the Red Sox this year 😳 Nate Eovaldi has a huge outing for the Sox at Fenway: ▫️9 IP ▫️7 H ▫️3 R ▫️1 BB ▫️6 K – W ✅ #NateEovaldi #DirtyWater pic.twitter.com/oceG68J7BP — Taste Of Sport Media (@TasteOfSport) May 29, 2022
To the trained eye Eovaldi looked to be trying to save the bullpen. To the ultra trained eye he was looking to save his start from the bullpen . who after being up 6-0 and 8-2 in Friday nights game choked up 10 runs in the last three innings against the freaking Orioles. Way to toss an iceberg on a hot streak gentlemen. But let’s digress shall we. Nate was brilliant, giving up just 2 earned over the nine innings while striking out six and handing out one base on balls. It was the third time this season Nate got nasty and went over 100 pitches.
Nate Eovaldi CG piece in game 1 of a double header pic.twitter.com/OX28vUIDqj — HTV98 (@HTV98_Cards) May 28, 2022
Rafael Devers stayed hot, going 4 for 4 with a two-bagger in the first game of the double dip. Raffy is smoking everything at the moment batting .424 with 5 home-runs and 9 RBI over his past 15 games. Bobby Dalbec went pinch-hit yard for his second danger of the season. Jackie Bradley – Christian Arroyo – and Hernandez 2 , drove in the runs for the good guys 5-1 win in the first of afternoon set.
Rafael Devers now has a league high 19 doubles on the season and also a league high of 83 hard-hit balls. — WEEI Red Sox Network (@SoxBooth) May 28, 2022
Rookie in the Rotation
"With my personality I'll probably be frustrated for a long time. It was still a really awesome moment but that game should have gone a lot different." Josh Winckowski on his major league debut.#RedSox | https://t.co/sl8J2jXXRR pic.twitter.com/sjxOb7gn6t — NESN (@NESN) May 29, 2022
In the second game of the twin bill the Sox leaned on triple A call up: Josh Winckowski. Why Cora chose to sit two of his best hitters Xander Bogaerts and J.D Martinez is beyond me. Winckowski struggled through three innings. The 23 year old gave up 6 hits and 4 earned runs ( all in the third ) he struck out 4 walked 3 and served up a three run shot to Rughned Odor in the top of the third. It took him 62 pitches 58% were strikes, to get through the third inning. In case you’re new to baseball that’s not good. Boston optioned the kid back to Wooster after the game. The option back to Triple A was the plan all along.
With an unproven rookie on the hill why did Cora choose to sit both Martinez and Bogaerts? ( Don’t Know ) to me it seemed foolish. Yes the complimentary bats have been hot and yes Devers and Trevor Story are smoking, (They went a combined 1 for 8 in the second game.) The sox were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left 8 men on base. With a straight starting nine, This could have been a vastly different outcome. I think the rookie deserved better.
As always you can follow/give me grief on Twitter @Tmurph207