Man Cave Collection Grows For Red Sox Rookie

Boston Red Sox starter Richard Fitts had to wait 12 starts for his first big league win — and he plans to remember it for a long time.

The young right-hander finally broke through Monday night, tossing 5 ⅔ innings in a 9-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies. Though he allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and a walk, he struck out six, leaving with something he had never left a major league start with before: a win.

Fitts’ 3.31 ERA across 12 career starts was the stuff of an effective starter, but the Red Sox had lost his first 10 outings, including his MLB debut last September.

“This is a big accomplishment for me,” Fitts said, as transcribed by Christopher Smith of MassLive. “Hopefully it’s the first of many.”

The 25-year-old kept the lineup card from last night’s game and plans to frame it, just like he did with the scorecard from his debut. He envisions both eventually going up in his future man cave, a reminder of how long his road to win No. 1 was.

Fitts generated 14 swings-and-misses Monday, and manager Alex Cora again praised his ability to give the Red Sox a real shot each time out.

This season, Fitts has been in and out of the rotation, dealt with a pectoral strain, and endured a brief stint in Triple-A Worcester. But his overall ERA has held steady and his poise on the mound hasn’t wavered.

Whether it was bad timing or poor run support, the winless label never quite matched the way Fitts was pitching.

Now, he’s officially in the win column — and saving the keepsake to prove it.