Nick Pivetta Helps Red Sox Starting Rotation Take Positive Step

It wasn’t exactly a breakthrough performance from Boston Red Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta on Tuesday night.

But it certainly was a step in the right direction with Boston’s starting pitchers struggling mightily through the first turn in the rotation.

The 30-year-old Pivetta was dealt a 4-1 loss by the Pittsburgh Pirates at Fenway Park in his first start of the season, but ran into a tough result as his solid showing was marred by a defensive mistake and very little offensive support. The veteran right-hander tossed five innings allowing three runs — only of them was earned — on three hits to go along with six strikeouts and three walks.

“It was good,” Pivetta told reporters of his performance, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “Little mix of everything. Thought I competed in the zone very well. … Got some swings and misses when I need to and some weak contact. Couple home runs ended up killing me, but that’s about it.”

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Pivetta surrendered two home runs, but one off the bat of Ji Hwan Bae in the top of the second made his outing look worse than it was. It looked as though Pivetta was out of the frame when he struck out Canaan Smith-Njigba, but a passed ball from catcher Reese McGuire allowed Smith-Njigba to get on with two outs. And Bae stepped in next and belted a pitch over the Green Monster for his first career home run in the big leagues.

But Pivetta, who was Boston’s most reliable starter a season ago, shook that off and fared better than his fellow starting hurlers, who combined to give up 22 earned runs in 15 innings.

“Everybody knows it. There’s no secret, right? We have to pitch better,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters, as seen on NESN postgame coverage. “Today, he went five. I thought he was good. He gave us a chance. Tanner (Houck) gave us a chance. We just got to be better. I know we got the guys.”

Pivetta isn’t alarmed by the rough beginning of the season for the starting rotation and there’s still plenty of starts ahead for the group.

“I think the first time just kind of getting our feet under us, figuring out the season,” Pivetta said. “I think as we move forward, continue with our game plan, continuing to compete as a rotation and continuing to go deep in baseball games. I think that’s the priority this first week, it’s figure out some things, learn some things about ourselves. And then, there’s still a lot of season left. Continue to move forward, get better on the little things and strive to do better every single day.”