The Red Sox bullpen came up clutch in a number of high-leverage situations again Monday at Fenway Park, and it helped Boston claim a 5-3 win over the Miami Marlins.
Garrett Whitlock, Darwinzon Hernandez, Hirokazu Sawamura, Josh Taylor and Adam Ottavino combined to go the final 4 1/3 innings and scattered just five hits. Ottavino ended up allowing three of those hits in 1 1/3 innings before earning the save, too, perhaps best depicting the strong job by the middle relievers.
Sawamura, specifically, got out of a bases loaded jam in the sixth after he entered the game with runners on first and second. Miami left 14 runners on base in the game.
“I think they did a tremendous job today,” Red Sox starter Nick Pivetta said on a postgame video conference. “I came out in 4 2/3 (innings), which I’m pretty disappointed about, but when they come in and they don’t let up runs and we stay in the baseball game like that, it’s a tremendous job up and down by all those guys.
“They’re all throwing the ball really well, even if you come out of the game early, a lot of confidence going with those guys and it worked out really well for us tonight,” Pivetta added.
Ottavino added: “Everybody is ready. Everybody knows to be ready for everything. We’re all there trying to pick each other up. There’s a lot of guys who came in with other guys on base today and picked their teammates up. We all look forward to that. I don’t think anybody cares about the glory or anything, we just want to do it as a team. Today we know it was going to be a grind, so just try to stay locked in the whole way.”
It continues quite a start to the month of June for Red Sox relievers, too.
Here are some other notes from Red Sox-Marlins:
— Alex Cora was very pleased the Red Sox, especially after an emotional series against the New York Yankees, who were able to pull out a hard-fought win the next night.
“… But it’s a testament to where (we’re) at,” Cora said on a postgame video conference. “We come from a tough series, a tough game (Sunday). I’m a big believer that when you come from that series, sometimes you have letdowns, and to win that game it meant a lot, I think.”
— Christian Arroyo was one of three Boston batters to record multiple hits. Arroyo also finished with a pair of RBIs and two runs scored, too.
“He did a good job going to other way, he stayed on pitches, went the other way, worked the count,” Cora said of Arroyo. “We did a good job today overall, with our approach.”
— Pivetta got the start, but didn’t have his best command and thus got pulled after just 4 2/3 innings. Pivetta, though, didn’t let it impact as much on the scoreboard as he allowed just two runs on seven hits.
“I just felt, it’s not that he was off, but it was a grind,” Cora said.
Cora explained the decision to pull Pivetta in favor of Whitlock with two outs in the fifth.
“He still had good stuff, I just thought going to Whitlock right there makes sense for us to win the ballgame. It’s just one of those, I get as a pitcher you don’t like it, right? This is not about (individual) wins and losses, just about giving us a chance to win. Just felt like today that was the way we wanted to go, and it worked out.”
— Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale is back with his teammates and could start traveling with the team shortly, according to Cora.
The Boston ace, who continues to rehab from Tommy John surgery, was taking part in a bullpen session Monday on the outfield grass at Fenway Park before the game.
“He’s one of the leaders on our team and the way things are going, they’re trending up, and we’re very pleased with the way the rehab is going,” Cora said.
— Chances are you’e seen the highlights and heard the hype surrounding Red Sox prospect Jarren Duran. Duran helped Team USA qualify for the Olympics recently and while he has had success both there and in Triple-A Worcester, it seems the Red Sox will continue to take it slow with Duran.
“There’s a guy that is going to impact this team in the future. The future doesn’t mean tomorrow, or in a month. It might be next year, or in two years,” Cora said Monday before the game.
— The Red Sox will return to Fenway Park Tuesday as they get set to host the Houston Astros in a three-game series.
