It takes lots of mental fortitude to throw a no-hitter. It takes even more to continue pitching well after losing a no-hitter late in a close game.
But that’s exactly what Eduardo Rodriguez managed to do Sunday afternoon in Oakland.
The Boston Red Sox left-hander tossed 7 2/3 innings of no-hit ball before an infield single from Marcus Semien ended the bid for history with two outs in the eighth inning. The ball kicked off Rodriguez’s foot, and he spun around in a circle searching for the ball beneath him before picking it up and firing to first base for what originally was called an out. The A’s challenged the call, however, and it was overturned, ending Rodriguez’s no-no.
Boston eventually fell in the ninth inning, 1-0, with closer Craig Kimbrel on the mound.
So what was Rodriguez thinking during those critical few moments? The 23-year-old southpaw explained in the clubhouse after the game, as seen on NESN’s “Red Sox Final.” Check it out in the video above.
Thumbnail photo via Neville E. Guard/USA TODAY Sports Images
