Garrett Whitlock entered Sunday's contest against the Los Angeles Angels seeking a bounce-back effort after his underwhelming season debut, and the Red Sox right-hander accomplished that and much more in Boston's 2-1 victory at Fenway Park.
Whitlock now is responsible for Boston's best start of the season, as he became the first starting pitcher to pitch into the sixth inning. And in going seven full frames, Whitlock not only excelled individually but helped Boston's bullpen receive some much-needed rest.
That was a common sentiment in the Red Sox clubhouse after the series-clinching victory.
"We needed an outing like that. We needed at least six (innings). We were very short," manager Alex Cora told reporters after the win, as seen on NESN's postgame coverage. "So he did an amazing job. Good fastball, good tempo, off-speed pitches were great. I think he got a few swings and misses on the slider, which is something new. And just what we needed. He was really good today.
"He was under control the whole time," Cora added. "You got to tip your hat to him."
Whitlock allowed a mere one run on three hits in seven innings. He threw first-pitch strikes to 17 of the 23 batters he faced with 61 of his 99 pitches going for strikes en route to five punch outs.
"Yeah, that was huge. Obviously good for him but great for the bullpen to give those guys some rest down there, give us some length," Justin Turner told NESN's Jahmai Webster after the game. "He attacked the strike zone, he had all his pitches working and it was outstanding to see him come back. I know he didn't love the way the results came out in Tampa and that bounce back right there was pretty awesome."
Red Sox reliever Ryan Brasier added: "It was huge. I think everybody has mentioned it to him. When you got a guy that's like Garrett, and has as good of stuff, it's almost like you expect it from him. He had his good stuff today and did exactly what we needed him to."
Here are more notes from Red Sox-Angels:
-- Red Sox reliever Kaleb Ort almost cost the Red Sox in a big way during the eighth inning as he threw just two of his first 10 pitches for strikes and allowed LA runners at first and second with one out. However, after Ort recorded a fly out for the second out of the frame, the Red Sox executed a perfect pick-off play at second base. Ort turned just as Connor Wong signaled to do so and fired to Christian Arroyo, successfully picking off Angels pinch runner Brett Phillips to end the eighth-inning threat.
Cora spoke of the play after the win.
"The big play at second, that's stuff that you work in spring training," Cora said. "It looks boring and it's repetitive and people hate it, but it happens once. That's the hope when you work stuff like this, like at least once in the season you're gonna get somebody out and we did. Credit to Ramon (Vazquez) on that one."
-- Turner (2-for-4, two RBIs, run) recorded his first home run of the season as he hit a four-seam fastball from left-hander Reid Detmers deep into the Green Monster seats in the third inning. Turner's two-run no-doubter held up as Boston's game-winning hit.
"Yeah, that was awesome," Turner told Webster. "Just to make a big swing and have an impact on the game and have it hold up, again outstanding job by (Whitlock) and the bullpen shutting it down and making that thing hold up. That's pretty special."
-- Angels stars Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani went a combine 0-for-8 against the Red Sox on Sunday with both coming to the plate against Brasier in the ninth inning of a one-run game. Brasier struck Trout out for the second out before a pop fly from Ohtani concluded the contest. The pair went 0-for-6 against Whitlock.
"It's obviously always fun getting a chance to close out a game, especially when you're facing two of the best guys in baseball," Brasier told reporters, as seen on NESN.
-- Sunday's game lasted a mere one hour and 57 minutes. It was the fastest Red Sox game since April 1999, as shared on the NESN broadcast.
-- The Red Sox will conclude their four-game series against the Angels with their Marathon Monday contest scheduled for 11:05 a.m. ET. You can watch it live on NESN after an hour of pregame coverage.
