The Boston Red Sox had to make the difficult decision to bump Nick Pivetta out of the starting rotation at the beginning of the 2023 season.
There were too many starting pitchers on Boston’s staff at that point (no, seriously), necessitating Pivetta’s move to the bullpen. Though he certainly wasn’t pleased with the call, things have gone swimmingly any time the Red Sox have asked him to serve in that role.
That’s why he isn’t moving any time soon.
“He’s getting his innings and he’s dominating,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “I think the last thing we have to worry about is him becoming a starter. He’s going to get a lot of outs and he knows it. When? It’s just a matter of what the game dictates. … He’s not going to start. He’s not going to start.”
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“He’s not going to start. He’s not going to start.”
Red Sox manager Alex Cora on Nick Pivetta
Pivetta was great again in the Red Sox’s victory over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night. He pitched five innings out of the ‘pen, striking out eight batters and allowing just two earned runs on four hits.
It’s something that has become a trend for Pivetta, who has a 2.63 ERA as a reliever and a 6.30 ERA as a starter on the season. In the end, it’s an easy choice for Cora to keep him out of the rotation, with a clear change in mindset coming in the new role.
“I think people were going to make a big deal out of (the move to the bullpen), like he was going to go out there and pout,” Cora said. “What’s he going to do, not pitch? If he wants innings, he’s got to pitch better and I think he’s been able to attack and relax a little bit with the different mindset. We like this version of Nick.”
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Here are more notes from Friday night’s Red Sox-A’s game:
— Brennan Bernardino made his second career start and thrived, retiring each of his first 4 batters faced. He struck out three batters in two scoreless innings of work before giving way to Pivetta.
— Yu Chang made his return following a 74-day absence, as the Red Sox activated him from the injured list prior to first pitch. He made his presence felt almost immediately, chopping a two-run single up the middle in his first plate appearance back.
— The Red Sox had nine singles in this one, finishing with 10 total on the night. They have recorded at least 10 hits in a season-high six consecutive games, their longest single-season streak since April 2021, according to Red Sox statistician Devin Benson.
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— Justin Turner, Alex Verdugo and Jarren Duran all recorded two hits Friday, with Duran’s triple being the Red Sox’s only extra-base hit.
— The Red Sox and A’s will continue their three-game set Saturday at Fenway Park. First pitch is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.
Featured image via Brian Fluharty/USA TODAY Sports Images
