In the postseason, legends are made. In his Boston Red Sox tenure, Nathan Eovaldi has thrived in the playoffs, which continued on Tuesday night against the New York Yankees. At Fenway Park against their arch-rivals, the Red Sox turned to Eovaldi. He was Boston’s best pitcher during the regular season and proved why he was in the American League Wild Card game.
Against a potent Yankees lineup, Eovaldi was in complete control. The Texas native allowed one run in 5.1 innings of work. He managed to strike out eight batters while keeping the Yankees scoreless until the sixth inning. With the 2021 season on the line, the veteran right-hander was in vintage form. It was also a continuation of what he has done in the playoffs since joining the Red Sox.
In his postseason career with Boston, Eovaldi has posted a 1.63 ERA. Through seven appearances, he has struck out 24 batters and has walked three. He has also shown excellent control and only allowed two home runs in 27.2 innings of work. When the pressure has been at its highest, the 31-year-old has taken his game to another level.
Although the playoffs are just getting started, Eovaldi has already flashed his 2018 form. During the Red Sox’ championship run that year, he became a fan favorite. In 22.1 innings of work, he allowed four earned runs, while pitching both out of the bullpen and the rotation. This year, he again played a significant role, as Chris Sale missed most of the regular season. With Boston in need of an ace, Eovaldi filled the role.
Nate Eovaldi is a Key Piece for the Red Sox
After battling injuries for the majority of his career, Eovaldi stayed healthy and made his first All-Star team. The former 11th round pick also led the Red Sox rotation in almost every category. Despite entering the 2021 campaign as underdogs, the Red Sox ended their postseason drought, partly due to Eovaldi, who had one of the best seasons of his career. On Tuesday night, Eovaldi continued his impressive 2021 season and the Red Sox proved the critics wrong. His performance earned the praise of manager Alex Cora. When asked about Eovaldi’s performance, he had nothing but good things to say.
“Nate was great. We learned a lot last week. I know a lot of people doubted us and doubted him … but we executed the way we wanted to, and Nate was amazing.” While Eovaldi’s first start in the ALDS will not come until game three, it could be another magical night for the Red Sox starter, as he attempts to add to his postseason resume.
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