The first and second innings went well for Eduardo Rodriguez, but that ended up being half of his entire outing Tuesday against the Atlanta Braves.
In four innings pitched, the left-hander gave up four runs off six hits and a walk, allowing the Braves to almost completely erase a five-run deficit. The Red Sox ultimately pulled out a 10-8 win, but Rodriguez was replaced on the mound with Boston holding on to a narrow 5-4 lead.
“I mean, he had a five-run lead and you saw what happened,” manager Alex Cora said after the game over Zoom. “He got to the bottom lineup and he didn’t do the job. I think early on, he established his fastball in. He did a good job but then, you know, just wasn’t able to execute.”
The fourth inning especially was a tough scene.
Rodriguez gave up three doubles in the frame that led to three runs, and by the end of his short start, his ERA for the season increased to a 6.21. After another no-decision, he remains 5-4 on the mound in 13 starts after winning his first five outings.
“Right now, I don’t know, honestly, I think stuff-wise he’s good,” Cora said. “The changeup was good, velocity was good, elevated fastball was good. He wasn’t able to finish them off in that spot, and he needs to be more aggressive in that situation with the ninth hitter there with a pinch hitter. And that walk put us in a bad spot.”
Silver linings in Rodriguez’s day? He induced 17 swings and misses, which is the most he’s racked up in a start all year. He also struck out eight batters in the short stint, for what it’s worth.
That doesn’t make him feel any better, though.
“I don’t feel good at all because I just went four innings, you know what I mean?” Rodriguez said after the game.
“I’d prefer to go seven innings with no strikeouts than go four innings, eight strikeouts and give up four a runs, so I don’t feel good at all with that.”
