Eduardo Rodriguez returned to the mound Thursday after a missed 2020 due to Myocarditis. His first start of 2021 was also pushed back due to ‘dead arm,’ as he was scheduled to make his returning start on Opening Day.
He would return to the mound Thursday in his first start since the final game of the 2019 season to face Orioles’ Matt Harvey. Harvey faced the Red Sox in the second game of the season, picking up the win for the Orioles in their 4-2 win over the Red Sox.
Boston would get it going early, as in the top half of the 1st Rafael Devers would send a 2-run shot into the 452 feet into centerfield seats to give the Red Sox the lead. That was only Devers’ third hit of the year, as he was 2-for-19 on the season entering the matchup. A common slow start for the third-baseman.
The Orioles would answer back quickly; a 2-run homer from Ryan Mountcastle tied it up at 2. That would be all offensively for the Orioles in the 1st, but it’s definitely worth mentioning the standing ovation Mancini got when he came up to bat. It was his first home game since missing all of 2020 due to cancer.
Neither team would get anything going in the 2nd; but the Red Sox would get two runners in scoring position off of a Christian Vazquez double. Marwin Gonzalez wasn’t able to cash in though, keeping the game knotted up at 2.
It remained scoreless until the bottom of the 4th, when Pedro Severino hit a solo shot that barely made it over the right field wall, and gave the Orioles the 3-2 lead.
The Red Sox would rally in the 6th though. With the bases loaded and nobody out, an RBI groundout from Christian Arroyo would knot it up at 3. The Red Sox wouldn’t be done though; an RBI single from Franchy Cordero would bring home one, giving the Red Sox the 4-3 lead. A passed ball was thrown, but then a base running mistake by Marwin Gonzalez, who was on third costed the Red Sox the inning and a scoring chance.
In the top of the 7th, JD Martinez would pick up an RBI double to give the Red Sox a litle more cushion. Marwin Gonzalez would follow with a RBI single into right, and would make it 6-3 making up for his base running mistake.
Kike Hernandez would launch a solo HR in the 8th to make it 7-3.
That would be all, as the Red Sox would pick up their 4th consecutive win, and 4th win of the season.
Rodriguez ended the day going 5 innings allowing 3 ER off of 5 hits, along with 7 K’s. Whitlock threw two scoreless frames as well. His ERA remains 0.00, in 5.1 career innings. Andriese and Barnes both added scoreless half innings.
The Red Sox will take on the Orioles both Saturday and Sunday. Saturday Garrett Richards will look to rebound from his horrific first start. Sunday Nick Pivetta will look to build off of his impressive first start.
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