One of these days, the Boston Red Sox will put together a complete game. That might seem difficult to believe at the moment, with Boston’s 5-3 loss to the New York Yankees in the Bronx just the latest in an already long list of nightmarish outings in a still young season.
There have not been many glimpses of the team that won 108 games last season, but Nathan Eovaldi offered one on Wednesday night.
Eovaldi went six strong against the Yankees, allowing just one run, which was unearned, while striking out six and walking just one. Besides the impressive stat line, Eovaldi dotted the strike zone, working effectively on the outside to set up an inside fastball that rolled up to 100 mph. And the velocity lasted throughout his 104 pitches on the night.
Eovaldi, like the rest of Boston’s staff, has endured a rough stretch to start the season. He entered Wednesday with an 8.40 ERA and had allowed six home runs over his first three starts and had just 10 strikeouts.
Coincidentally, this is Boston’s first loss when Eovaldi has taken the ball this year. They were 3-0 on days when Eovaldi started entering Wednesday. He was in line for the win until the bullpen imploded in the seventh, with Brandon Workman loading the bases and Ryan Brasier allowing Brett Gardner to bop a grand slam on an 0-2 pitch.
“We were in a position to win on today, and I came in there and loaded the bases and only got one out,” Workman said after the game on NESN’s postgame coverage. “So it’s definitely difficult to swallow that.”
Here are some other notes from Wednesday’s Red Sox-Yankees game:
— It looks like the Red Sox could be without Dustin Pedroia again.
The second baseman removed himself from the game in the second inning after he “felt something” in his left knee. He was replaced by Eduardo Nunez.
With Brock Holt still on the IL and the Blake Swihart getting DFA’s earlier this week, the Sox could be looking for some help in the infield from Triple-A Pawtucket.
— While the starting pitching may be showing signs that it’s coming to life, Boston still is not getting much production from its offense.
Reigning American League MVP Mookie Betts is just 2-for-his-last-23 at-bats. He is batting an even .200 on the season and went 0-for-7 in the two-game stand in New York.
— In fact, only three Red Sox are batting over .300 in their last seven games. One of those is Andrew Benintendi, who remained out of the lineup Wednesday after fouling a ball off his foot and has not played since Sunday.
J.D. Martinez, who homered Wednesday night, is hitting .400 over his last seven, going 10-for-25. Xander Bogaerts is batting .346 over that same timeframe.
— After the Yankees took the lead in the seventh, the Sox had the bases loaded with two outs in the eighth. Eduardo Nunez lofted an easy fly to right to end the inning and put the Red Sox’s last gasp to bed.
Boston is 3-for-16 in bases-loaded situations.
