We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Every team needs a Hector Velazquez.
The Boston Red Sox righty allowed two runs on two hits and two walks Sunday in his team’s 11-2 win over the Seattle Mariners. It was the longest outing of the season for Velazquez, who improved to 1-2 with a 3.95 ERA in 12 appearances (six starts).
Velaquez by no means was dominant in the victory, which was Boston’s fifth straight. But he did what he often does: deliver a solid, professional effort that gives his team a chance to win.
Furthermore, the 30-year-old stepped up at time when the rotation is without injured starters David Price and Nathan Eovaldi.
“Hector was good,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said after the game on NESN’s Red Sox postgame coverage. “He gave us five, and there were some good swings, but there also were some bad swings.”
Listen, when the Red Sox are at full strength, Velazquez belongs nowhere near the rotation. That’s not a knock on him, but more a reflection how good Boston’s rotation can be.
But Swiss Army knife-like pitchers are more important than ever, and the Red Sox have one of the best.
Here are some other notes from Red Sox-Mariners:
— Rookie infielder Michael Chavis entered Sunday hitless in his last 18 at-bats, but broke out with a 3-for-5, five-RBI performance. Chavis now is hitting .282 with 19 RBIs.
— Mariners pitcher Parker Markel made his big league debut Sunday, and his story is rather remarkable.
— Rafael Devers began the day with 25 hits in his last 61 at-bats (.410), including multi-hit games in 10 of his last 15 contests.
Well, Devers went 3-for-5 with an RBI in the series finale, and just might be the hottest hitter on the planet.
— If the goal in moving Mookie Betts down in the lineup was to give him more opportunities with men on base, the Red Sox have succeeded.
— Remember when the Mariners destroyed the Red Sox in the first series of the season? Well, this three-game set was a bit different.
— The Red Sox have won five straight games and now are three games over .500 at 22-19.
