The Red Sox extended their win streak to nine games straight yesterday, winning in both 7-inning matchups of the double header.
Eovaldi would start Game 1, and would go 5 innings off of 5 hits and 2 runs, along with 3 strikeouts. His ERA is at 2.08 after 3 starts, and he’s a part of a pitching staff that has took a major role in the win streak.
“The pitching has been good,” Eovaldi said postgame. “We’ve been able to go deep in the games deep enough for the bullpen to come in and do their job.
Eduardo Rodriguez pitched in game 2, and went 5 innings allowing a run off 5 hits, along with no walks and 3 K’s. He is also a part of the staff that has taken a big role in the streak.
“We’ve got a really good team,” Rodriguez said. “I’m not surprised at all because I know we can hit and the pitching has been pretty good.”
The Red Sox got going early in game 2, a Hunter Renfroe RBI single would get them on the board in the 2nd inning. Then a Kevin Plawecki sac bunt with two on base created chaos, as Kenta Maeda’s throw on the play went well over the head of third base, letting a run score.
Another run would be scored that inning from a Christian Arroyo RBI single, ending the top half of the 3rd inning at 3-0. The Twins would proceed to pick up 2 runs in the bottom half of the inning, ending the 3rd at 3-2.
No runs would score in the rest of the ballgame, it would end 3-2. Matt Barnes would pick up his second save of the season, and it made it eight games straight on the win streak. Alex Verdugo would make a game ending diving catch, bringing back memories of Andrew Benintendi’s game ending catch in the 2018 ALCS.
Heading into game 2, to start it was a pitchers duel between Eduardo Rodriguez and Jose Berrios.
Neither team would score after the Twins scored a run in the 1st inning, until an offensive parade happened in the top of the 6th.
The Red Sox would pile on 6 runs in the inning. Featuring a walk from Franchy Cordero that scored a run, Alex Verdugo who had a 2 RBI single, a wild pitch from newly entered Tyler Duffey after Berrios was taken out, and a 2 RBI single from Rafael Devers to make it 6-1.
They also had 4 walks in the inning along with the 4 hits and 6 runs.
The Red Sox would grab another run off the bat of Alex Verdugo, who hit a solo shot to make it 7-1. Eduard Bazardo would proceed to make his Major League debut later that inning, and close out the ballgame. He was the 27th man for the double-header, a rule the MLB enforced last year where you can call up an extra player for a 7-inning double header.
It would be made 9 straight, with a memorable day from Alex Verdugo who went 5-for-8 with a HR in the double-header. Not to mention his game ending diving catch at the end of game 1.
“Alex is a good player,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “He is a very solid player. I’m learning a lot about him. He can hit righties, he can hit lefties. He controls the strike zone. He knows his swing.”
“In the beginning of the year, I felt like I was hitting some balls hard, but I also did feel like my shoulder and my hip were kind of coming open a tick too early on lefties,” Verdugo said. “I got into cages, worked on some stuff, and really just focused on not being afraid to let that ball travel and get deep.”
“I love the way he plays (with) energy, everything,” Rodriguez said about Verdugo. “So he’s doing a really good job, especially today.”
**PHOTO VIA DAVID BERDING**