Garrett Whitlock is off and running in his big league career.
The Boston Red Sox picked Whitlock in the Rule 5 Draft from the New York Yankees back in December, and he broke camp with the Major League club after never pitching above Double-A.
And as the Red Sox stumbled Sunday against the Baltimore Orioles, Whitlock got to make his big league debut.
“The way he handled the whole situation, it was amazing,” Cora said, via MassLive. “After the game, he was thanking me for giving him in a chance. No, no, no. Thank you for giving me 3 1/3 innings and help us to be ready for today.”
Indeed, Whitlock positioned the Red Sox for success this week. Because he was able to deliver a strong performance Sunday, Boston's bullpen largely was fresh entering Monday's series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays. Had Whitlock gone out Sunday and gotten shelled, thus forcing Cora deeper into his bullpen, it could have created some issues.
All told, the 24-year-old went 3 1/3 innings, allowing three hits with five strikeouts in a scoreless effort. The Red Sox ultimately lost 11-3.
The future seems bright for Whitlock, who has made clear that he's appreciative of the opportunity. Sunday marked a good start.
