What can we say? Eduardo Rodriguez is a competitor who takes pride in his work.
The NESN broadcast of the Boston Red Sox’s 6-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles put that quality on full display.
Cameras caught the starting pitcher and manager Alex Cora engaged in some passionate discussion in the dugout after the top of the sixth inning of Sunday’s matinee.
It looked as though the lefty wanted to go back out for the seventh, to Cora’s objection and Rodriguez’s protest.
“I learned that from my teammates that I’ve played with, (Chris Sale), D.P. (David Price), (Rick) Porcello,” Eduardo said of his desire to stay in the game in his postgame media availability.
“Those guys taught me you’ve got to go out there, nobody in your way. That’s the way I feel every time I go out there. You go out there, you’re gonna have 120 pitches, you’re still gonna want to go out there.”
Well, Cora stood in his way.
After six full innings in which Rodriguez allowed no earned runs, six hits and three walks, the starter reached 89 pitches, throwing 55 of those for strikes on the way to six strikeouts.
He wanted to go more.
“He wanted to go out there, and I was like, ‘No, you’re not going out there,'” Cora said of the spat. “I respect that, that he wants to be competing, but where we were bullpen-wise, and knowing who was coming, we needed some guys to go out there and touch the rubber, so I appreciate that he wants to keep competing but at the end we have to do what’s best for the team. He’ll get the ball again on Saturday and the way he’s throwing the ball he’ll be OK.
Rodriguez ended up recording the win on the mound anyway, improving to a 9-6 record. But we’ll take the passion, for sure.
Especially when it helps them complete a sweep.
