Red Sox manager Alex Cora isn’t concerned about Nathan Eovaldi after the starter had an uncharacteristically rough outing against the New York Yankees on Friday at Fenway Park. In fact, Boston’s manager isn’t dwelling on it at all.
Eovaldi scattered seven runs on seven hits and walked two in just 2 2/3 innings as the Yankees beat the Red Sox 8-3. He didn’t strike out any batters, marking the first time since August 2019 — when he was used in a relief role following elbow surgery — that he logged a goose egg in that column.
“The good ones, they have bad ones,” Cora said after the loss. “Tonight, he wasn’t that far off. He just wasn’t able to put those guys away with two strikes. No strikeouts. You don’t see that often. It’s one of those that you have to turn the page and be ready for the next one.”
Eovaldi didn’t shy away from the realities of his outing after the game. On a Zoom video conference, he told reporters his performance was “frustrating,” especially given the magnitude of this weekend’s series.
The Red Sox now have a one-game lead over the Yankees for an American League Wild Card spot, with two more games in the series this weekend to increase the distance further.
On the bright side, they got some help in hanging on to any playoff position despite the loss as the Toronto Blue Jays — who are also part of the playoff chase — fell to the Minnesota Twins.
