Major League Baseball’s pace of play initiative through the league’s newly installed rules seems to be paying off, as evident in Sunday afternoon’s matchup between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels.
It hasn’t even been a full month into the 2023 season and there’s already been a noticeable shift in game length, which seemed impossible to the average baseball fan just a year ago.
The Red Sox and Angels moved through nine innings Sunday quicker than any other game played at Fenway Park since the organization was still looking to break out of its “Great Bambino” curse.
The Red Sox defeated the Angels, 2-1, in a game that lasted just 1 hour and 57 minutes, according to FOX Sports. And again, we’re not talking about a game that was called early due to a rain delay.
In fact, it was the fastest game at Fenway Park since Oct. 1, 1989, against the Milwaukee Brewers, which took an hour and 50 minutes to complete 34 years ago, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe.
Heavily credited to the pitch clock, both teams combined to collect 11 hits while pitchers kept everyone in the ballpark and watching on the edge of their seats. Justin Turner (2-for-4), who homered, and Alex Verdugo (2-for-4) were the only players to record multiple base hits while only three pitching changes were made by the Red Sox and Angels combined.
If the now apparent changes in place by MLB’s pitch clock continue this early trend, the days of 7 p.m. ET first pitch starts accompanied by the likelihood of a midnight (or later) end are perhaps well behind us for years to come.
