Throwing a complete game is rare these days in Major League Baseball, but the Red Sox did it twice in 10 days after Nathan Eovaldi accomplished the feat Saturday afternoon.
Boston’s pitcher went the distance in its 5-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. After Friday’s collapse, Eovaldi knew the Red Sox relievers needed some rest, especially with the second game of their doubleheader slated for 6:10 p.m. ET.
It was the first complete game for Eovaldi and the second of the season for the Red Sox. Nick Pivetta tossed nine innings against the Houston Astros on May 18.
“It’s a huge honor to go out there to be able to go out there and do that. It means a lot to me. It’s my first one,” Eovaldi told NESN’s Jahmai Webster after the game, as seen on the network’s postgame coverage. “Given the circumstances of the game, doubleheader, trying to save the bullpen, we were able to score a few extra runs there. At the end and they were able to send me back out there.”
Eovaldi noted that the bullpen has been “doing a lot” for the Red Sox and he knew he needed to do everything in his power to go as long as he could.
The right-hander, who has a history of elbow injuries, was praised by his manager for the effort.
“He works so hard and everything,” Alex Cora said, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “It was good to see them celebrating him down there. Well deserved.”
The Red Sox have a quick turnaround and look to make it two wins on one day with Game 2 set for 6:10 p.m. ET. You can catch all the action beginning at 5 p.m. on NESN.
