Even though Eduardo Rodriguez tossed two scoreless innings in his first spring training start Monday, his pitch count caused Alex Cora to send him a message about being efficient.
The Boston Red Sox pitcher was more than fine with receiving the feedback, and during Rick Porcello’s live batting practice Tuesday, he was telling Nathan Eovaldi about his appearance and admitted to his teammate he was trying to be “too fine” with certain things.
“Eddie was talking about his outing yesterday,” Eovaldi said, via the Athletic’s Chad Jennings. “Just the fact that he’d get guys 1-1 or 0-2, and he was trying to be too fine with things. I’ve always had that issue before, too. I’d get ahead of guys, and I’d try to make that perfect pitch, and then I’d leave it up, and it’s either a hit or it’s a foul ball, (then another) foul ball, and then you end up working an 0-2 count on two pitches into an eight-pitch at-bat. That’s something that just can’t happen.”
As for Eovaldi, he just reminds himself to be “good” and focus on his pitches when he’s on the mound.
“I just try to remind myself, good is good enough,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to be nasty. Just think of the location. Just throw that pitch down, or throw it up, but get it in that area.”
The two pitchers certainly will provide a threat to batters if Rodriguez can go deep into games and Eovaldi can pick up where he left off during Boston’s World Series run.
